[DiaryPoint=Reporter Park Bo-young] The 2026 Goesan Kimchi Festival runs Nov. 5–8 at the Goesan Organic Expo Plaza and Goesan Sports Complex in Goesan County, North Chungcheong Province. Kimchi-making sessions require advance reservations; the standard 20-kilogram set costs 148,000 won.
The festival’s signature activities are “one-stop kimjang” at the Organic Expo Plaza and “drive-through kimjang,” where participants load their kimchi into their vehicles at booths in the Goesan Sports Complex. Goesan County said reservations opened on the festival’s official website on Oct. 8 on a first-come, first-served basis. Check the official festival website for current availability by session.
One-stop kimjang is scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m. on Nov. 5, and at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. from Nov. 6–8. Drive-through sessions run at the same times. The county moved the drive-through venue to the sports complex this year. A separate drive-through booth will handle bulk kimjang orders of 100 kilograms or more.
For 20-kilogram sets, the standard option costs 148,000 won and includes 20 kilograms of salted cabbage and 7.5 kilograms of seasoning. The eco-friendly option costs 170,000 won and includes 20 kilograms of salted cabbage and 8 kilograms of seasoning. Ten-kilogram sets cost 76,000 won for the standard option and 86,000 won for the eco-friendly option. Additional seasoning costs 14,000 won per kilogram for the standard option and 16,000 won per kilogram for the eco-friendly option.
Beyond the advance-booked sessions, Goesan County lists a kimchi market and a self-guided kimchi-making activity among the festival programs. Other offerings include kimjang culture experiences for children, teens, people with disabilities and international visitors, a master kimchi maker’s workshop, and a kimchi exhibition. Fireworks are scheduled at the Organic Expo Plaza for about 10 minutes around 8 p.m. after the opening concert on Nov. 6, and for about 10 minutes around 7 p.m. after the closing ceremony on Nov. 8.
Visitors arriving by car should check the traffic restrictions. The county announced that the road from the junction by the Culture and Sports Center to Sahojung Bridge will be closed from Oct. 31 through 6 p.m. on Nov. 9. The J&S Cafe–sports complex section and the Sahojung Bridge–Dongsan Tunnel section will be restricted during the festival. The county said it was considering operating around 1,900 parking spaces, including at the town-center public parking lot, the multipurpose sports field and the Dongjincheon riverside parking area.
For people making kimchi at home, Goesan County set the price of a 20-kilogram box of its Goesan Country Salted Cabbage at 45,000 won, unchanged from last year. Delivery fees are extra. The cabbage is available through Goesan Market and local agricultural cooperatives. The latest official nationwide estimate for November 2026 kimjang costs from aT, Korea’s agro-fisheries and food trade agency, was not available, so this article does not give a total for cabbage, chili powder, radish, garlic, salted seafood and other ingredients.