This guide summarizes official announcements (Hongseong-gun press release of September 30, Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation notice of September 23, and Hongseong-gun's tourism page on Gwangcheon) and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Fri, Oct 16, 2026 ~ Sun, Oct 18
- Venue
- Around Gwangcheon Traditional Market & Gwangcheon Culture Market (광천전통시장·광천문화시장 일원)Around 19 Gwangcheon-ro 315beon-gil, Gwangcheon-eup, Hongseong-gun, Chungnam (충남 홍성군 광천읍 광천로315번길 19 일원)
- Organizer
- Festival Promotion Committee & Gwangcheon-eup, Hongseong-gun (Baekban Festa: Hongseong-gun & Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation Culture City Center)
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 2026
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/15, 8 AM issued · forecasts can change
📌 What's on each day
- 10/16Fri★ Opening 17:00Today
- 10/17–18Sat–Sun★ Baekban FestaToday
🔁 Daily · Saeujeot & gim festival shows and activities · Gwangcheon Market 100th anniversary events
2026 Gwangcheon Salted Shrimp & Seasoned Laver Festival Dates, Baekban Festa – What to Know Before Visiting Gwangcheon Market with Kids
In autumn, just before kimchi-making season,
the market alleys of Gwangcheon become a festival 🦐
The 31st Gwangcheon Togul Saeujeot & Gwangcheon Jomigim Festival
(광천토굴새우젓·광천조미김 대축제)
runs October 16 (Fri) to 18 (Sun)
for three days around Gwangcheon Traditional Market and Gwangcheon Culture Market.
This year the Gwangcheon Market 100th Anniversary Events
and the 2026 Hongseong Baekban Festa take place at the same time.
I’ve summarized the Hongseong-gun press release (September 30)
and the Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation notice.
🎪 About the Festival
It is a festival themed on Gwangcheon’s signature products,
togul saeujeot (cave-aged salted shrimp) and jomigim (seasoned laver).
According to Hongseong-gun, Gwangcheon’s caves
date back to the early 1960s,
and the shrimp ripens in caves that stay at a steady 15°C all year.
There are 40 such caves in Gwangcheon.
Gwangcheon togul saeujeot has been designated
a National Important Fisheries Heritage.
Gwangcheon Market opened on March 3, 1926
as a regular market, and turns 100 this year.
It does not close on weekends or holidays —
it is open every day, 365 days a year.
Over the three days, the three events are split like this.
| Event | Dates · Location |
|---|---|
| Saeujeot & Jomigim Festival | 16th–18th · around Gwangcheon Market |
| Gwangcheon Market 100th Anniversary Events | 16th–18th · Gwangcheon Traditional Market |
| 2026 Hongseong Baekban Festa | 17th–18th 11:00–21:00 · Gwangcheon Culture Market (Ssajeon Madang to Gwangcheon Stay) |
🎤 What Can You See at the Festival?
The festival opens with a traditional bobusang (peddler) parade
and the opening ceremony.
| Highlight | Official Information |
|---|---|
| Start | Bobusang parade · opening ceremony (16th, 17:00) |
| Performance | Kimchi-making (gimjang) performance |
| Night sky | Fireworks |
| Stage | 13th Hongseong National Housewives Song Festival · residents’ singing contest · singing class contest |
| Shows to see with kids | Magic show · juggling performance |
| Evening | Moonlight night market |
The opening ceremony is on Fri the 16th at 17:00,
and the main stage is at Gwangcheon Traditional Market’s Parking Lot No. 3.
The daily timetable and the fireworks times
have not been officially announced yet.
🍙 What Activities and Food Are There?
The county’s press release describes the activities
as programs ‘that anyone, young or old, can join’.
| Activity | Official Information |
|---|---|
| Laver activities | Laver roasting · ‘Gim-eul gatgo twieora’ laver game · gimbap making |
| Kimchi activities | Gimjang kimchi making · bossam and suyuk with fresh kimchi |
| Tasting | Jeotgal baekban (salted seafood set meal) tasting · multicultural food · Gim & Beer Zone |
| Photos | Life4Cuts photo booth |
| Shopping | 10% discount on local specialties |
Activity fees and how to join
are not yet in the official information.
🏮 Gwangcheon Market 100th Anniversary Events
These events retell the market’s history
and its merchants’ stories
through exhibitions, activities and media.
| Program | Official Information |
|---|---|
| Exhibition | Media Memory Hall remembering 100 years |
| Market walk | Gwangcheon 100-Year Market Travel Information Center · passport · completion certificate |
| Stories | 100-Year Merchants Story Theater |
| Family activities | Keyring · hand mirror making · mini flowerpot decorating |
| Photo zone | Daepung Store (대풍상회), which keeps its old look |
🍚 Hongseong Baekban Festa on the 17th–18th
At Gwangcheon Culture Market, for two days on Saturday and Sunday,
the Hongseong Baekban Festa runs 11:00–21:00.
Centered on the multi-purpose cultural space Issue Changgo (잇슈창고),
there is a preview event,
and a baekban sales zone
selling Hongseong baekban (home-style set meal) kits.
Complete missions around the venue,
collect the Hongseong Baekban 6-Flavor Puzzle Tour pieces,
and get them verified to receive a Hongseong Baekban Box.
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The festival address on Hongseong-gun’s guide is
19 Gwangcheon-ro 315beon-gil, Gwangcheon-eup
— around Gwangcheon Traditional Market.
| Item | Official Information |
|---|---|
| Festival & 100th anniversary | Around Gwangcheon Traditional Market and Gwangcheon Culture Market |
| Baekban Festa | Gwangcheon Culture Market (Ssajeon Madang to Gwangcheon Stay) |
| Main stage | Gwangcheon Traditional Market Parking Lot No. 3 (37 Gwangcheon-ro 315beon-gil) |
| Parking & shuttles | Not yet in the official information |
The two markets are close to each other
in downtown Gwangcheon-eup (based on Naver Map).
Check the Hongseong-gun website notices
once more before you go.
👨👩👧 If You’re Visiting with Kids
Good picks for kids are
laver roasting and gimbap making,
keyring and hand mirror making, and mini flowerpot decorating.
For shows, look for the magic show and juggling.
In the evening, the moonlight night market opens.
Another idea is to carry the 100th anniversary passport
and complete a walk through the market alleys.
go on the 17th (Sat) or 18th (Sun)
The Baekban Festa runs only on those two days
⏳ Not Yet Announced
□ Daily timetable
□ Fireworks date and time
□ Admission, activity fees and how to join
□ Parking lots and shuttles
□ Operating hours of the 100th anniversary events
□ Operation in case of rain
These are not yet in the official information.
I’ll update this post when they are announced.
If you have questions, contact the press release contact,
Gwangcheon-eup, Hongseong-gun, at 041-630-9253.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Families who want to try laver roasting and gimbap making with kids
✔ Families who want to walk the 100-year-old market alleys with a passport
✔ Families shopping for togul saeujeot and laver before kimchi-making season
A salted shrimp and laver festival, the market’s 100th anniversary,
and the Baekban Festa all at once —
a three-day autumn festival in the market alleys of Gwangcheon.
This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. The character illustrations are GPT-generated.
🔄 Updates
- Extra check
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 10월의 광천, 100년 시장과 맛·공연·체험이 한자리에 홍성군(광천읍) · 2026.9.30 · 관공서
- 2026 홍성백반페스타 백반메뉴&간식 판매존 참가자 모집 공고(제2026-85호) (재)홍주문화관광재단 홍성군 문화도시센터 · 2026.9.23 · 주최
- 축제 > 광천조미김·광천토굴새우젓 대축제 (광천시장·토굴새우젓 안내) 홍성군 문화관광 · 관공서
- 홍성 광천시장 100주년…10월 16~18일 '새우젓·조미김 축제' 중앙일보(다음 뉴스) · 2026.9.28 · 기사
This is a guide based on official announcements, not a visit review. Schedules, programs and fees can change, so please re-check the official notice before you go.
AI-assisted translation. Numbers and article structure were checked against the Korean original on 2026-10-10. This is not a new verification of the event announcements. Original post (Korean)