There is a way to sharpen one's appreciation for coffee — the essential pleasure of 21st-century life. Head to Gangneung's Anmok Coffee Street from Wednesday through Sunday.
The Gangneung Coffee Festival, held in and around Anmok, will stage its signature program "100 People, 100 Tastes" — a showcase in which 100 participants brew and share coffee using their own beans and extraction equipment. The program is the centerpiece of this year's festival.
In addition, 20 local cafes will take part in "Byeolbyeol Gangneung Coffee," and a companion stall, "Byeolbyeol Bean Shop," will offer whole beans and drip bags. A coffee experience zone will let visitors try hand drip, siphon brewing and roasting, among other hands-on activities.
This year's festival runs under the slogan "Coffeeful Gangneung," weaving Gangneung's coffee culture together with the city's natural charms — the sea, pine forests, local cuisine and leisure — to create a stay-and-experience destination rather than a single-day outing.
A new large-scale open-air cafe will line the 350-meter stretch of Gangneung Coffee Street, with 200 sets of outdoor tables turning the entire strip into one sprawling alfresco cafe.
A "coffeenic" relaxation area equipped with camping chairs, hammocks and tables will be set up in the Songjeong pine forest, while a nighttime program called "On a Starry Night" will run on Anmok beach, inviting visitors to enjoy the sea after dark over a cup of coffee.
This year's festival strengthens programming that pairs coffee with the sea, local food and leisure.
At Gangneung Port, a "Coffee Wave" experience will let visitors sip coffee aboard a yacht. A new wellness program called "Coffee Therapy" will blend singing-bowl meditation and yoga with coffee, offering an unconventional way to unwind while taking in Gangneung's natural surroundings.
Tied to the Gangneung ITS World Congress, a Global Coffee Lounge will run two programs for foreign visitors and international students: "Barista's Table" and "I'm a Barista, Too."
"Barista's Table" is a culinary program pairing a barista's signature coffee with traditional Gangneung desserts such as hangwa, dried persimmon and yakgwa. "I'm a Barista, Too" is an exchange program in which international students learn hand-drip brewing firsthand, deepening the festival's global reach.
The Songjeong pine forest coffeenic space will offer a range of family-friendly programming, including a "Book Trip" reading event organized with the Korea Tourism Organization, coffee busking performances, a children's playground, a coffee sports day and a fireworks show.
The festival will extend beyond Anmok to the rest of Gangneung. "Coffee Festival Neighborhood Outposts" will operate in Jumunjin, Okgye, Jungang Market and Ojukheon, offering coffee tastings, hands-on activities and busking performances. A stamp rally has been converted to a mobile pass format and has been running since September; a receipt event during the festival period will also encourage spending at local businesses.
Five new shuttle buses will run to ease visitor access, circulating from Gangneung Station through Junghap Sports Complex, Gangneung Convention Center and Gangneung Green City Experience Center (E-zen) before reaching the festival grounds.
Eom Geum-mun, director of the city's culture, tourism and marine affairs bureau, said the festival had been prepared to highlight what makes Gangneung unique — its sea, pine forests, cuisine and leisure offerings. "We will make sure visitors can feel the charm of Gangneung as a coffee city throughout the entire city," he said.
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