Chuncheon’s Makdak Festival and Gangneung Noodle Festival: Gangwon State’s food festivals reach their peak this weekend

【Financial News, Chuncheon and Gangneung—Reporter Kim Gi-seop】Gongjicheon Stream’s waterfront in Chuncheon and Wolhwa Street in Gangneung are expected to be busiest this weekend, with day-trippers coming to sample makguksu, dakgalbi, jang kalguksu and other signature noodle dishes and foods from the two cities in Gangwon State.
According to Chuncheon City and Gangneung City on the 16th, the K-Gourmet 2026 Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival (Makdak Festival), which opened on the 14th, and the fifth Gangneung Noodle Festival, which began on the 15th, will both run through the 18th. With only Saturday and Sunday, the 17th and 18th, left for both festivals, this weekend is effectively the last chance to attend.
The Makdak Festival is being held around the Gongjicheon Stream walking trails. The festival grounds open at 11 a.m., and food orders close at 9 p.m. Nineteen leading local businesses, including eight makguksu restaurants and 11 dakgalbi restaurants, will serve food cooked on site. Special festival prices are 6,900 won for makguksu and 9,900 won for dakgalbi.
There is plenty to enjoy beyond the food. The International Pavilion will host free tastings of food from around the world and cooking classes, with chefs from six cities overseas introducing their countries’ cuisines. Families visiting with children can take part in activities including making makguksu noodles, traditional games from around the world, an eco-friendly wooden playground, character-themed augmented reality and horseback riding.
On Saturday the 17th, the festival’s namesake walking event, Makdak Road, will take place. The route starts at Soyang Art Circle and follows the Uiam Lake waterfront trail to Hwadong 2571, where an after-party is also planned. Programs connected with downtown businesses, including street performances in Chuncheon Myeongdong, will also be held, making it easy to explore beyond the festival grounds.
The benefits continue beyond the festival grounds. Chuncheon City and the festival organizing committee are distributing discount coupons through the 25th that take 3,000 won off dakgalbi and 1,500 won off makguksu at participating businesses in the city. As of mid-last month, there were 151 participating businesses: 87 offering in-person service and 64 listed on Naver Reservations. Coupons are available at local administrative welfare centers, tourist information centers and promotional booths at the festival. Chuncheon City urged visitors to use public transportation and shuttle buses, as it will manage crowds and control vehicle access around the venue.


Gangneung’s noodle festival, renamed from the former Gangneung Noodle Festival, is being held for the fifth time this year. The stretch of Wolhwa Street from the former KEPCO building to Wolhwa Bridge has been turned into a noodle-food street, featuring Gangneung’s signature jang kalguksu, as well as jajangmyeon, jjamppong, noodle dishes from around the world and fusion menus. It is open from noon to 9 p.m., but closes early at 6 p.m. on the final day, the 18th, so visitors on Sunday should check the hours in advance.
The Gangneung Noodle Festival also offers plenty of hands-on activities. Cooking shows and busking performances will continue, and families can enjoy programs such as making noodles by hand, noodle-themed coloring and preparing meal kits. Wolhwa Street is an urban tourist area developed on a disused railway site stretching from Gangneung Station to Namdaecheon. Nearby Jungang Market and its alleys are good places to try local dishes such as potato ongshimi. Gangneung City selected Wolhwa Street as a recommended destination for October during the 2026–2027 Year of Visiting Gangneung, and the Gangneung Coffee Festival will take over from the 21st to the 25th.

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter