21st Kayūsai Festival 2026 in Osaka: Experience a One-Day Chinatown with Authentic Food and Performances

The 21st Kayūsai Festival

For one day only, a Chinatown takes over the center of Minami, Osaka. The 21st Kayūsai Festival, held every year since 2003 by people with Chinese roots in Kansai, returns on November 8, 2026 under the theme “a one-day Chinatown in Osaka.” This year’s edition is designed as an experiential event, giving visitors the chance to experience Chinese culture through performances, food, and games in the middle of the city.

A one-day Chinatown at Minatomachi River Place

The event will be held at Minatomachi River Place Plaza 3 (1-3-1 Minatomachi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City). Red lanterns will decorate the venue, creating a visual change from the usual cityscape. The program is built around the idea of wandering through a compact Chinatown, with the stage, stalls, and games spread across the plaza.

On stage, visitors can expect powerful performances, including colorful lion dances, dynamic dragon dances, and dance and music performances by the Osaka Chinese School and other groups. The lineup brings together traditional Chinese performance arts and local community participation.

Food, games, and family-friendly atmosphere

A selection of authentic Chinese food stalls will also be present, including Tetsu-Bar, Taiyo Seimen, Taiseikaku, and Shikairou. For younger visitors, festival game booths will be set up, making the event suitable for family outings or a day out with friends.

Key event information

Event period: November 8, 2026 (Sunday), held rain or shine
Event time: Approximately 11:00–18:00
Location: Minatomachi River Place Plaza 3, 1-3-1 Minatomachi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City
Admission: Free (a ticket system is used at the venue; tickets are purchased with cash on the day)
Note: Remaining tickets cannot be refunded
Inquiries: No inquiry contact is listed
Official website: Official Instagram

If you are planning to come from outside the area, you can 🛏️ View hotels near the event.

What is the Kayūsai Festival?

The Kayūsai Festival is an annual one-day cultural event held in Osaka, recreating a Chinese street festival in a part of the city that otherwise lacks a permanent Chinatown. For the duration of the festival, the area is lined with red lanterns and Chinese decorations, and food stalls sell dishes prepared on-site: dumplings, xiaolongbao, spring rolls, noodle bowls, and Chinese-style grilled skewers.

The program also includes performances on a main stage. Lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese music, dance, and acrobatics are scheduled throughout the day. The festival is organized with the participation of local Chinese community groups, cultural organizations, and volunteers. Their aim is to present Chinese culture directly to Osaka residents and visitors, with food as one entry point and performance, craft, and custom as others. This is a more deliberate function than the “festival atmosphere” framing suggests: Osaka does not have a historic Chinatown comparable to Yokohama’s or Kobe’s, so Kayūsai operates as a temporary, concentrated introduction.

The event also draws on the long historical ties between Japan and China. It was created to make those connections visible and accessible in a city that has absorbed many cultural influences from the continent over centuries. The 2026 edition will be the festival’s 21st, and it continues to hold a modest but established place in Osaka’s cultural calendar.

November 2, 2026

Nagoya Taxi Association 75th Anniversary Everyone’s Taxi Festival 2026: Enjoy Family Fun, Live Performances, and Vehicle Exhibits at Meieki Parklet

Nagoya Taxi Association 75th Anniversary: Everyone’s Taxi Festival – With 75 Years of Gratitude, Toward the Future

The Nagoya Taxi Association is marking its 75th anniversary with “Everyone’s Taxi Festival,” an event designed to express gratitude and open a conversation about the future of local mobility. The festival will be held on November 7, 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00, at Meieki Parklet (Former Lejac site) in Nagoya.

What to expect

The venue will be filled with a variety of attractions, including powerful calligraphy performances, marching band performances, and dance performances. Visitors can also get a close look at exhibits of taxi vehicles. The event offers a chance to understand how taxis support daily life in the community and to learn about the industry’s social contribution initiatives, all while enjoying an entertaining day out.

Fun for the whole family

There will be plenty for younger visitors and families to enjoy as well. Children can take part in games that reward participants with sweets, and a stamp rally will let attendees collect stamps and win prizes. With a mix of live performances, vehicle exhibits, and hands-on activities, the festival is designed so that adults and children can enjoy it together.

Event details

Date: November 7, 2026
Time: 10:00–16:00
Location: Meieki Parklet (Former Lejac site), 1-25-2 Meieki Minami, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya City
Access: 3 minutes walk
Contact: Nagoya Taxi Association, TEL: 052-871-0601
Website: https://www.meitakyo.com/75th/index.html

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Everyone is invited to bring the whole family and join the celebration.

Meieki Parklet is a small public seating area located next to Nagoya Station, one of central Japan’s main transport hubs. It follows the parklet model: a low-cost, open-air structure that repurposes street space for pedestrians. The space is equipped with planters, benches, and a paved surface, and it functions primarily as a place where people can sit briefly, wait, or meet without having to enter a nearby building.

Because the parklet is at street level and open on all sides, it is easy to pass through or stop at. Its position near the station’s exits and transit connections makes it convenient for commuters, while its flexible layout also allows it to serve as a small event venue. The planters and benches can be rearranged to create space for stalls, performances, or informal gatherings. The taxi association’s anniversary festival is one example of this: the parklet was used for exhibits and a stage while still leaving enough room for visitors to move between the event and the surrounding shops and station entrances.

The design is deliberately minimal. There are no permanent structures or complex landscaping, and the parklet does not try to imitate a conventional park. What it provides is a modest amount of seating and open ground in a dense commercial district, along with a central, accessible site for organizations that need a public space in the immediate vicinity of the station. Its usefulness comes from that simplicity and location, not from any special amenities.

November 2, 2026

2026 Ride with the Wind Kaohsiung: Explore Fengshan and Niaosung via Cultural Ecology Cycling Tour

2026 Ride with the Wind | Fengshan-Niaosung Cultural Ecology Cycling Tour

The 2026 Ride with the Wind takes place on 11/7 (Sat) with a day of cycling through Kaohsiung’s cultural and natural landscapes. The schedule is split into two half-day sessions, and together they let riders get to know two different sides of Kaohsiung at once.

Morning Session | Niaosong Chengching Lake Guoling In-depth Cycling Tour

Activity Time: 08:30–12:30
On-site check-in time: 08:30–09:00 AM
Check-in Location: Niaosong Wetland Park

The morning ride starts at Niaosong Wetland Park and moves into Chengching Lake, where participants will visit classic attractions such as the Nine-Turn Bridge and Zhongxing Tower. From there, the group takes a shortcut into Kaohsiung Guoling Natural Park, offering access to the kind of greenery and ecological scenery that is rare to find within city limits.

Afternoon Session | Fengshan Cultural Reading In-depth Cycling Tour

Activity Time: 13:30–17:30
On-site check-in time: 13:30–14:00 PM
Check-in Location: Huangpu New Village

The afternoon session shifts the focus from nature to history. Riders will weave through the streets of the old Fengshan city, visiting battery historical sites, Cao Gong Temple, Fengyi Academy, and Huangpu New Village. The route is designed as a way to read the historical stories of Fengshan while passing through the places where those stories unfolded.

Between Chengching Lake’s classic landmarks and Fengshan’s historical streets, the full-day route is structured to cover both environments in a single outing.

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Fengshan and Niaosung

Fengshan and Niaosung are neighboring districts in southern Kaohsiung City. They have different histories and different landscapes, but both are tied to the same water system and to the growth of the city.

Fengshan is one of Kaohsiung’s oldest urban settlements. Its Chinese name means “Phoenix Mountain,” after the hills that once shaped the area. During the Qing dynasty the town was an administrative and military center, and parts of that era are still visible. Sections of the old city wall survive, as do temple complexes and narrow streets near Caojun Temple and Fengshan Longshan Temple. The district is now a busy local center with traditional markets, family-run eateries, and public spaces. Many streets in the old core are narrow and low-rise, and a short bicycle ride can pass from a Qing-era wall to a market street with little change in scale. The town is compact, so its history is accessible in a way that does not require a special trip to a separate heritage site.

Niaosung, immediately north of Fengshan, is a different kind of place. It has no dense downtown. Shops and public buildings are spread along a few main roads, and most of the land is farmland, woodland, or open water. The name is traditionally associated with the area’s pine forests and birdlife. Chengcing Lake, the district’s best-known landmark, is a reservoir and a large public park. It supplies drinking water to part of the city and also has walking paths, wetlands, and open water used by migratory birds. Around the lake, and in the low hills to the east, are wooded trails, ponds, and cultivated fields. This is quiet, open terrain, and the change from Fengshan is clear as soon as you cross the boundary.

The two districts are connected by more than proximity. In the nineteenth century, an irrigation system was built to carry water from the hills and rural catchments into the fields around Fengshan. That infrastructure has changed, but its purpose remains: the reservoirs and farmland in Niaosung still supply water, absorb heavy rain, and provide habitat for species that do not survive well in dense city blocks. Fengshan would not have grown into an administrative and trading center without the farmland and water sources around it.

The Ride with the Wind route links the two districts for this reason. It moves from the shaded streets of Fengshan, where traffic is slow and buildings press against the sidewalks, into the open roads of Niaosung, where the sky widens and the lake appears behind rows of trees. Riders do not have to choose between a historic town and a rural landscape. The route shows both, and it shows the relationship between them: an old city and the farmland, forests, and water around it.

November 2, 2026

2026 Kaohsiung Wild Wild Life: Experience the Ultimate Blend of Luxury Camping, Outdoor Skills, and Gourmet Dining

2026 Kaohsiung Wild Wild Life

The 2026 Kaohsiung Wild Wild Life event serves as a comprehensive intersection of camping, living, music, and sustainability. Designed for both seasoned outdoor enthusiasts and curious novices, the gathering transforms the urban landscape into a wilderness retreat where participants can explore the synergy between modern leisure and environmental consciousness.

Event Schedule and Location

The event will take place over two days, specifically on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8. Attendees can visit from 14:00 to 21:00. The chosen venue is the Outdoor Lawn of the Weiwuying National Arts Culture Center, providing an expansive green space that complements the event’s nature-centric theme.

Curated Displays and Gear

A primary draw of the event is the showcase of “Style Tents and Campers.” Visitors will find a wide array of aesthetic campers, specialty camping tents, and high-end outdoor gear on display. To enhance the experience, “Style Tent Booths” are available via online reservation; these booths provide a curated space that includes exquisite meals, allowing guests to experience a luxury camping setup firsthand.

Education and Skill Development

Beyond the visual appeal, the event emphasizes practical knowledge through dedicated camping and cooking instruction. These sessions are designed to bridge the gap for beginners by providing essential information on tent selection, equipment usage, and the critical nuances of food preservation in the wild. Complementing these technical guides are demonstrations by artisans focusing on open-fire cooking, blending culinary art with primitive techniques.

Active Experiences and Entertainment

The programming incorporates a variety of physical and auditory experiences to maintain a dynamic atmosphere:

Outdoor and Sports Experiences: The lawn will host free yoga sessions and slacklining experiences, while DJ music performances provide a rhythmic backdrop to the festivities.
Parent-child Handicrafts and Adventure: Family-oriented activities focus on tactile learning and adventure, including woodworking handicrafts, the construction of handmade robots, and a paracord survival classroom. Additionally, guests can participate in a painting party or operate rock-climbing remote control cars.

The Gourmet Market and Accessibility

The event serves as a commercial hub, gathering nearly a hundred renowned gourmet shops and outdoor gear brands. This “Wild Cooking Market” combines artisan open-fire cooking with specialty food trucks, offering a diverse culinary landscape.

Furthermore, the event is pet-friendly, ensuring that visitors can enjoy a picnic on the lawn accompanied by their animals.

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November 2, 2026

Visit the 37th Kansai Correctional Exhibition 2026 at Osaka Prison: Explore Rare Facility Tours and Shop Unique CAPIC Goods

The 37th Kansai Correctional Exhibition

One of the largest correctional events in the Kansai region will be held at Osaka Prison on November 7 and 8, 2026. The 37th edition offers an exhibition and sale of CAPIC products—high-quality furniture and leather goods made in prisons across the country—as well as tours of prison facilities that are normally inaccessible.

In addition, the event includes a range of programs where visitors can learn while seeing, knowing, and enjoying: gourmet and food booths with bento boxes that recreate prison recipes, Prison Curry, and prison bento boxes that recreate prison meals; experience corners for personality tests and prison work; and stage events.

Event details

Dates: Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 2026
Hours: November 7: 10:00–16:00 / November 8: 9:30–15:00
Venue: Osaka Prison (6-1 Tadei-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City)
Admission: Free
Contact: 072-238-8269
Website: Official event website

Access

The venue is about a 5-minute walk from Sakaishi Station on the JR Hanwa Line and about a 10-minute walk from Sakai-higashi Station on the Nankai Koya Line. Parking is limited, so visitors are encouraged to use public transportation.

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What is CAPIC?

CAPIC stands for Correctional Association Prison Industry Center. It is the official brand name for products made in Japanese correctional facilities under the management of the Correctional Association. Inmates do production work as part of structured vocational training, manufacturing stationery, leather goods, furniture, and specialty snack items.

These products are sold through designated retail channels and at prison exhibitions. The Kansai Correctional Exhibition is one venue where CAPIC goods are featured prominently. Proceeds go toward rehabilitation and job-training programs.

The product range is broader than souvenir-style goods. Some items are utilitarian, such as desk supplies and bags; others are packaged foods. All are made in workshops inside the facilities. The brand gives a name to a long-standing system, and it lets buyers know where a product was made and what its purchase supports.

November 2, 2026

Méli Mélo Osaka 2026 in Toyonaka: Your Guide to Kansai’s Largest Culture Fair at Hattori Ryokuchi

Mishmash Osaka in Toyonaka

As autumn deepens, Hattori Ryokuchi will host “méli mélo osaka,” an event recognized as one of the largest local culture fairs in the Kansai region. The event derives its name from a French phrase meaning “it’s fun when various things are mixed together,” a philosophy that defines the weekend. For two days, the venue transforms into a crossroads where a diverse range of cultural expressions—including music, fashion, art, gourmet food, and miscellaneous goods—intersect to create a multifaceted experience for the visitor.

■ Marche Area (shop / food / workshop) *Free Area
The Marche Area serves as the heart of the event, gathering a diverse collection of more than 150 stores over the course of the weekend. This expansive market features a variety of craft works, unique specialty shops, and gourmet food offerings, supplemented by experiential workshops. Visitors are encouraged to stroll through the entire park, utilizing the open space to discover niche interests and search for their own personal “likes.”

■ Hattori Ryokuchi Open Air Concert Hall *Nov 8 (Sun) only / Paid Area
On the second day of the event, the focus shifts toward musical performance with a special live event held at the Open Air Concert Hall. The lineup features a curated selection of artists—including Schadaraparn, Umeda Cypher, and FNCY—who will perform in a setting characterized by its openness. To integrate the music and market experiences, organizers are offering multiple types of “tickets with shopping vouchers,” which allow concert-goers to make purchases within the venue.

Event Details

Dates: 2026/11/7 (Sat) & 8 (Sun)
Time: To be decided
Location: Hattori Ryokuchi & Hattori Ryokuchi Open Air Concert Hall (1-1 Hattori Ryokuchi, Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture)
Fees:
- Marche Area: Free
- Open Air Concert Hall General: 5,800 yen (includes 300 yen shopping voucher)
- Elementary and junior high school students: 500 yen (no shopping voucher)
- Note: Other discounted ticket types are also available; please refer to the website for full details.
Contact: 06-6882-1224
Website: https://www.melimelo-osaka.com/

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What is Hattori Ryokuchi?

Hattori Ryokuchi is a public park in Toyonaka City, at the northeastern edge of Osaka Prefecture. It opened in 1950 and is one of the larger green spaces in the area. The grounds include a central pond, walking paths, a botanical garden, open lawns, and several sports facilities.

The central pond is surrounded by paths used for walking and jogging. Seasonal changes are visible in the trees and plantings: cherry blossoms in spring, foliage in autumn, and bare branches in winter. The paths connect the main open areas to the park’s cultural facilities.

The Hattori Ryokuchi Japanese Farmhouse Museum is located on the grounds. It contains several traditional thatched-roof houses, including a minka from the Edo period, relocated from their original sites. The buildings are open to visitors, with explanatory material on construction methods and daily life. The museum gives a concrete sense of pre-modern Japanese housing.

Also within the park are a botanical garden with thousands of plant species, a large lawn plaza, a small golf course, tennis courts, and a field athletics course for children. These facilities are distributed across the park, so it is possible to move between quiet areas and more active zones without crowding.

Hattori Ryokuchi is served by Hattori Ryokuchi Station on the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway, a short walk from the park entrance. This makes it accessible from central Osaka and northern Toyonaka. It is used by local residents for daily recreation, by school groups for excursions, and by tourists interested in the farmhouse museum.

For Méli Mélo Osaka 2026, the park offers practical advantages: enough space for events and visitors, existing cultural facilities, and a setting that does not rely on spectacle. It is a suitable site for an international cultural festival, with room for stages, stalls, and visitor movement while retaining quieter areas.

November 1, 2026

2026 Gumi Ramyeon Festival Guide: Experience Korea’s Ultimate Noodle Celebration and Explore Gumi’s Downtown

Gumi Ramen Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

The Gumi Ramyeon Festival is a representative regional festival that connects Gumi’s industry, food culture, and local tourism through ramyeon. Gumi is the city where Nongshim—a representative domestic ramyeon company—operates its Gumi plant, and the festival builds on that industrial foundation to turn ramyeon into local tourism content. The 2026 edition runs from November 6 to 8, and entry is free.

What makes the festival stand out is its use of the city itself. The event takes place in the original downtown area, including Gumi Station, Yeokjeon-ro, Munhwa-ro, Geumridan-gil, and Saemaul Central Market. Instead of a single dedicated venue, the entire city center becomes the festival space. Local restaurants and commercial districts take part, linking the festival grounds to the old downtown and supporting the local economy in the process.

For visitors, the program list is built around ramyeon in many forms. Ramyeon Restaurant serves ramyeon dishes from different regions across the country. Freshly Fried Ramyeon is the festival’s signature food program, utilizing freshly fried noodles. God-Land operates experiences and content related to ramyeon, and the Global Ramyeon Challenge invites domestic and international participants to join a participatory ramyeon-related program. Robot Chef is also among the main programs, and the Hururuk Lounge provides a space to relax with ramyeon while enjoying performances and content.

Main Programs

Ramyeon Restaurant: A food program showcasing various ramyeon dishes from different regions across the country.
Freshly Fried Ramyeon: A representative food program of the Gumi Ramyeon Festival, utilizing freshly fried noodles.
God-Land: Operation of experiences and content related to ramyeon.
Global Ramyeon Challenge: A participatory ramyeon-related program involving domestic and international participants.
Robot Chef: A main program operated at the festival.

Side Programs

Hururuk Lounge: A space to relax with ramyeon and enjoy performances and content.
Programs linked with local restaurants and commercial districts.
Operation of festival spaces and street content throughout the original downtown area.

Consumer Participation Programs

Making My Own Ramyeon
Soup Lab

Other Details

Participation of local restaurants.
Linkage with original downtown areas such as Gumi Station, Yeokjeon-ro, Munhwa-ro, Geumridan-gil, and Saemaul Central Market.
Promotion and marketing linking the festival site and original downtown commercial districts.

The 2026 Gumi Ramyeon Festival showcases Gumi as an urban tourism destination by connecting regional industry, tourism, food culture, and commercial districts through ramyeon. With the entire original downtown as its stage, it turns a familiar food into a reason to explore the city.

📍 Address: Yeokjeon-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 054-480-2651~3

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gumi_ramyun/

🖥️ Homepage: https://www.gumiramyun.com/

What is Gumi known for?

Gumi is known primarily as a manufacturing center for South Korea’s electronics and information technology industries. It has been called the country’s “digital industrial capital,” and since the 1970s it has hosted large production facilities for Samsung and LG Electronics. The Gumi National Industrial Complex, established in the late 1960s as part of government-led industrialization, runs along the Nakdong River. It produces semiconductors, mobile phones, displays, and automotive components for domestic and international markets. The complex remains central to the local economy and to South Korea’s electronics supply chain.

Gumi also has a non-industrial side. Geumosan Mountain rises behind the city, with forested trails and remnants of fortress walls for hikers. Older cultural sites include Dongsusa Temple and the Buddhist stone carvings at Seonsan. The area has connections to Korean scholars and military figures, and local museums and monuments document that history. The Nakdong River runs through the city, and its banks are used for parks and walking paths.

The Gumi Ramyeon Festival, held annually, focuses on another part of the city’s identity. It brings together noodle vendors, cooking demonstrations, and tasting events, and it draws visitors from nearby cities. Gumi’s attractions are both industrial and cultural: it is a city where electronics manufacturing operates alongside mountain hiking, historical sites, and local food.

November 1, 2026

2026 Jeju Pet Culture Industry Festival: Your Guide to Expert Lectures, Pet Fairs, and Fun Activities for Pet Owners

Jeju Pet Culture Industry Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

The 2026 Jeju Companion Animal Culture Industry Festival brings together two established events—the Jeju Companion Animal Culture Festival and the Jeju Pet Fair—in a single program. Its stated goal is a happy Jeju where humans and animals coexist, built through the establishment of a proper companion animal culture. The program ranges from petiquette education and campaigns to promote a mature companion animal culture to a variety of companion animal-related experience activities, with something for both pet owners and the general public.

The Jeju Pet Fair portion of the event is significant in its own right. Approximately 70 companion animal industry companies will participate, showcasing pet food, pet supplies, and pet services, alongside a series of events held across the fair.

Festival program

Lectures are scheduled across the three festival days:

November 6: Lecture by Professor Yoon Young-min
November 7: Lecture by Veterinarian Yoon Hong-jun
November 8: Lecture by Trainer Kang Hyung-wook

Other activities and experiences include:

Space-out competition with companion animals
Sharing event with abandoned dogs
Maze Great Escape
Agility
Life Four Cuts
Learning self-grooming
Caricature
Jeju National University Arota experience program
Color Walk
Jeju Pet Fair

Event details

📍 Address: 24 Seogwang-ro 2-gil, Jeju-si, Jeju-do (Ora-il-dong)

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 064-711-1002

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jejupetfestival/

The pet culture industry covers the goods and services that have developed around pet ownership. It includes food, veterinary care, grooming, behavioral training, wearable devices, pet-friendly travel, photography, and pet-related media and events. What distinguishes this sector from the older pet supply market is the underlying assumption that pets should have their own routines, comforts, and forms of enrichment.

The category also includes trade shows, fairs, and festivals where owners can sample products, attend lectures, and take part in activities with their animals. These events combine commercial and non-commercial functions: vendors sell goods, experts offer advice, and owners exchange experiences. The industry as a whole operates at the intersection of retail, services, and leisure, with the stated goal of improving the lives of pets and the people who care for them.

November 1, 2026

2026 Goesan Kimchi-Making Festival: Experience Traditional Gimjang with Unique Drive-Thru and One-Stop Making Programs

Goesan Kimchi-Making Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.05 ~ 2026.11.08

The 2026 Goesan Gimjang Festival is a gimjang culture festival held for four days from November 5 to 8, 2026, around the Organic Expo Plaza and Goesan General Stadium in Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. Gimjang — the traditional Korean practice of preparing large batches of kimchi to last through the winter — is the heart of the event, and participants get to make kimchi themselves using local agricultural products grown in Goesan, such as napa cabbage and clean chili peppers.

What makes this festival stand out among kimchi-related events is the sheer convenience of its two main programs. ‘One-Stop Gimjang Making’ lets participants mix and take home kimchi using pre-reserved salted cabbage and stuffing ingredients, all set up at the Organic Expo Plaza. ‘Drive-Thru Gimjang’ goes a step further: participants park their vehicles at individual booths within the Goesan General Stadium, make gimjang right there, and load the finished kimchi into their cars without ever leaving the driver’s seat.

The festival is designed for all ages and all levels of experience. ‘Children and Youth Gimjang Experience’ offers younger visitors a hands-on introduction to kimjang, while ‘Master’s Gimjang Kitchen’ showcases the techniques of gimjang masters. For those curious about how kimchi translates across cultures, ‘World Kimchi Taste Tasting’ provides samples of kimchi from various countries. The main event lineup also includes K-Red Food Street, a Grilled Food Zone, and the Korea Gimjang Contest,adding plenty of flavor beyond the kimchi-making itself.

In addition to the festival grounds events, the ‘Village Gimjang Experience’ runs throughout the month of November, allowing participants to make gimjang directly in villages within the Goesan area — a more intimate, community-based take on the tradition.

Main Programs

One-Stop Gimjang Making
Drive-Thru Gimjang Making
Children/Youth Gimjang Experience
Master’s Gimjang Kitchen
World Kimchi Taste Tasting
Village Gimjang Experience

📍 Address: 92 Imkkeokjeong-ro, Goesan-eup, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free (Some experience fees partially paid at 5,000 won)

📞 Inquiry: 043-830-3463

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goesanfestival

🖥️ Homepage: https://gimjang.kr

What is Gimjang?

Gimjang is the Korean practice of making large batches of kimchi before winter. It usually takes place in late autumn, from November to early December, when napa cabbage is in season. Families and neighbors prepare vegetables—salting, washing, seasoning with garlic, ginger, scallion, and chili powder—then pack them into jars or containers to ferment. The finished kimchi is stored in a cool place and eaten through the colder months.

The scale is what distinguishes gimjang from ordinary kimchi-making. A household may use dozens of cabbages, and the work requires coordination. People divide tasks: one person salts the cabbage, another prepares the seasoning paste, another packs the jars. In many villages, several households work together over the course of a day, then share the results. Recipes are usually not written down; they are passed from older to younger family members, with variations by region and taste.

The Goesan Kimchi-Making Festival, scheduled for 2026, offers visitors a chance to see or take part in this process. It is not a staged demonstration but a working session: visitors join local producers in preparing kimchi, with guidance on technique and ingredients. The festival also covers the history of gimjang, regional differences, and the reasons it has remained practical even as commercially made kimchi is widely available. For anyone interested in Korean food or food preservation, it provides a direct introduction to a practice that is less about nostalgia than about useful knowledge and seasonal work.

November 1, 2026

2026 Cheongsong Apple Festival Guide: Enjoy Unique Apple Experiences and Local Delights in Gyeongbuk

Cheongsong Apple Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.04 ~ 2026.11.08

Cheongsong Apple Festival is a representative local festival held in Cheongsong, South Korea’s leading apple-producing region. It takes place annually to promote the quality of Cheongsong apples, introduce local agricultural specialty products, and publicize the area’s tourism resources. During the festival period, the grounds are filled with apple-focused experience programs, exhibitions, sales booths, and performances.

Visitors can stop by the on-site agricultural specialty product sales centers to see and taste Cheongsong apples firsthand, or join participatory programs and events built around apples. Performances and cultural events involving both local residents and tourists are also part of the lineup. In particular, the festival offers unique apple-themed programs such as ‘Honey-Jam Apple Nanta’, ‘Challenge-Apple Sorting Lotto’, and ‘Find the Golden Apple’, and it is open to people of all ages.

Festival Programs

The event is organized into five main categories.

1. Performance Events

Cheongsong Apple Parade, celebratory performances, talent donation performances, etc.

2. Competition Events

National Cheongsong Apple Flower Stringing Contest, Apple King Selection Contest, etc.

3. Experience Events

Honey-Jam Apple Nanta, Find the Golden Apple, Challenge-Apple Sorting Lotto, etc.

4. Exhibition and Sales

Cheongsong Apple Promotion Hall, Cheongsong Apple Dish Exhibition, Cheongsong Tourism Photo Exhibition, apple and agricultural specialty product sales, surprise apple auctions, etc.

5. Side Events

Cheongsong Cultural Festival, World Confucianism Culture Festival, fireworks, etc.

Among the program highlights are the apple-specific experiences, which give visitors a hands-on way to engage with the festival’s main theme. The exhibition and sales halls offer another direct way to explore the region’s signature product, and the competitions and performances keep the event lively for different age groups.

Visitor Information

📍 Address: 484-1 Wolmak-ri, Cheongsong-eup, Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk

💰 Fee: Free (Some experience programs require a fee)

📞 Inquiry: 054-873-3686

⭐️ Instagram: instagram.com/gocheongsong

🖥️ Homepage: csapplefestival.kr

What is Cheongsong?

Cheongsong is a county in the northern part of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It lies along the eastern edge of the Taebaek Mountains, and much of its terrain is upland. The elevation, combined with cool nights following warm days, is well suited to apple cultivation. Cheongsong apples are a specialty product with firm, crisp flesh and high sugar content, and they are marketed under the name “Cheongsong Apple.” A large share of the county’s farmland is given over to orchards.

The county also contains Juwangsan National Park, established in 1976 around the granite massif of Juwangsan. The park has a network of hiking trails that pass through pine forest, along streams, and up to rock formations. Jusanji Pond, at the edge of the park, is an agricultural reservoir rather than a natural lake. Its main draw is the reflection of the surrounding cliffs, which is visible on calm days. The park is the most visited part of the county, and most tourist facilities are located near its entrance.

Outside the mountain area, Cheongsong retains a number of historical sites from the Joseon period. The village of Deokdong contains several preserved hanok houses. Oksong Seowon, a Confucian academy in the county, was founded in the sixteenth century and still holds seasonal ceremonies. Stone pagodas and temple ruins are scattered through the countryside, some dating to the Goryeo dynasty.

The county’s agricultural output is not limited to apples. Local farms also produce Welsh onions, peppers, and edible mountain herbs. These appear in the weekly markets in the county’s towns, alongside apple-based products such as juice and vinegar. For visitors, the main activities are straightforward: hiking in Juwangsan, walking through the market in Cheongsong-eup, and visiting the orchards during the harvest season. The county’s appeal lies less in any single landmark and more in the combination of mountain scenery, working farmland, and rural towns that have not been heavily developed for tourism.