Gimcheon kimbap festival expands to three days, three venues in October

Poster for the 2026 Gimcheon Kimbap Festival. [Provided by Gimcheon City]

Gimcheon in North Gyeongsang Province will host the 2026 Gimcheon Kimbap Festival from Oct. 23 to 25 across Jikji Culture Park, Samyeongdaesa Park and a nearby eco-park, the city announced Friday.

This year's festival runs for three days, one day longer than the previous two-day format, reflecting strong public enthusiasm from past editions.

The venue footprint has also grown, with the eco-park added to the existing Jikji Culture Park and Samyeongdaesa Park sites to give visitors a more spacious and comfortable experience.

The festival has earned a string of national recognitions: it was designated a "top festival" by North Gyeongsang Province in 2026, selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "Local 100" program, named a "preliminary festival" under the ministry's cultural tourism festival scheme, and won the grand prize in the content category at the 14th Korea Festival Content Awards.

Building on that momentum, Gimcheon City has drawn up sweeping improvements based on feedback from last year's event, addressing long wait times, traffic access and crowd flow across the sprawling grounds.

To sharply cut wait times for kimbap orders — the most common complaint — the city has built an integrated ordering system with Kakao Pay.

Visitors will be able to order and pay for kimbap by scanning a QR code on their smartphones without standing in line, making it far easier to enjoy the food on offer.

On-site shuttle bus capacity will expand to about 60 vehicles to ease congestion at venue entrances, and a demand-responsive tourism shuttle called "Sopung Taxi" — part of a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism grant program — will fill remaining transport gaps.

In addition, round-trip shuttle buses running in partnership with Kakao Mobility will connect the festival grounds directly from major metropolitan hubs including Seoul, Daejeon, Busan and Gwangju.

A highlight of this year's festival will be a lineup of "Gimcheon-style special recipe kimbap" developed by local universities, civic groups and community organizations, each roll incorporating the city's own specialty ingredients and ideas.

A scene from the 2025 Gimcheon Kimbap Festival. [Provided by Gimcheon City]

Daejeong, which drew wide attention last year with its kimbap factory concept, will return with new varieties offering visitors both novelty and value. Gimcheon Nonghyup, Joheung, Food Factory, E-mart's Gimcheon branch and The One Food Mart are also set to run product sponsorships, special sales and promotional events.

Agricultural corporation Geonyang will supply Geummul Rice, a high-quality branded rice grown in Gimcheon, while Daekyung Egg will contribute liquid egg products — deepening the festival's ties to the local agricultural community.

Dedicated booths selling Gimcheon's signature grapes and walnuts will also operate alongside the main festival.

This year's lineup will feature more than 60 varieties of kimbap — spanning premium local rolls, novelty creations and regional styles from across the country — along with other foods including kimbap bread and triangle kimbap bread.

More than 29 new merchandise items featuring the festival mascot "Kkodari" will go on sale alongside hands-on experience programs, creating new growth opportunities tied to local small businesses.

A kimbap-and-cider zone developed with Lotte Chilsung Beverage, hanbok experiences and live performances will blend K-food and K-culture content as the festival aims to establish itself as a leading global event representing South Korea.

"The Gimcheon Kimbap Festival has now established itself as a leading brand setting new trends in Korean festivals," Gimcheon Mayor Bae Nak-ho said. "This year, too, we will create a premium, participatory festival that everyone can enjoy together, with diverse content tailored to visitors' expectations and a safe, comfortable environment."

kbj7653@heraldcorp.com