Written: October 10, 2026 · Updated: October 10, 2026

This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.

2026 Changwon Food Culture Festival Schedule, Kids’ Drawing Contest, Monkfish Tasting – Before Visiting Yongji Culture Park with Kids

Sweet persimmons, sea squirts, ark clams, paprika —
a food festival starring Changwon’s local specialties is coming 🍲

The 12th Changwon Food Culture Festival (창원음식문화축제)
takes place on October 31 (Sat), one day only,
at Yongji Culture Park in Seongsan-gu, Changwon.

I’ve summarized Changwon City’s press releases (August 10 · September 2)
and the drawing contest notice (October 7).

🎪 About the Festival

Hosted by Changwon Special City
and organized by the Changwon Food Culture Festival Committee,
it’s Changwon’s own food festival.

A committee of 14 people —
food-related professors, organization heads, and food experts —
was formed, and the secretariat is run by
the Korea Foodservice Industry Association’s
Changwon Masanhoewon-gu branch.

The city describes it as an event to show the diversity
of local food culture and to promote and sell
signature menus from local food businesses.

✨ What’s On?

Here are the main programs listed in the city’s press release.

The times, how to join,
and costs for the tasting and experiences
are not in the official information yet.

⏰ What Happens When?

The overall festival hours haven’t been announced yet.
So far, only two times have been published.

🍳 What Is the Cooking Contest?

The theme is “Taste of Changwon, a New Gastronomy”.
Teams compete with creative dishes that reinterpret
Changwon specialties like sweet persimmons, sea squirts,
ark clams, and paprika with a modern touch.

The finals take place two weeks before the festival,
on October 17 (Sat) at Masan University,
as a live-broadcast cook-off.
The 10 dishes from the 10 finalist teams
will be re-created and displayed at Yongji Culture Park on festival day.

🎨 How Do Kids Join the Drawing Contest?

It’s an on-site drawing contest, now in its 3rd year.
This is based on the city’s notice and poster.

Awards: Grand Prize (Gyeongsangnam-do Superintendent of Education Award) 1,
Top Excellence (Changwon Mayor’s Award) 2,
Gold (Changwon City Council Chair’s Award) 2,
Silver (National Assembly Member’s Award) 1,
and Bronze (Committee Chair’s Award) 3.

The drawing theme, drawing time,
and entry fee are not in the notice.

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Yongji Culture Park is in Seongsan-gu, Changwon.
Its Naver Place address is
13 Jungang-daero 186beon-gil (Yongji Park).

There is no official information yet
on festival parking, shuttles, or public transportation.

👨‍👩‍👧 If You’re Visiting with Kids

For kindergarten and elementary kids,
the drawing contest is the one to look at.
If you miss advance registration,
there’s on-site registration (first come, first served) on the day, 09:40–10:40.

Bring your own picnic mat and coloring supplies;
8-jeol drawing paper is handed out on site.

⏳ Not Yet Announced

□ Festival hours (start and end)
□ Tasting and experience times, how to join, and costs
□ Performances and booth lineup
□ Parking, shuttles, public transportation
□ What happens if it rains

These aren’t in the official information yet.
I’ll update this post when they’re announced.
For the drawing contest, call the committee at 055-224-4960;
for the cooking contest, Changwon City’s Public Health and Sanitation Division
at 055-225-3601.

👍 Recommended for These Families

✔ Families with kindergarten or elementary kids who love drawing
✔ Families who want to taste signature Changwon dishes like agujjim
✔ Families looking for food experiences like kimchi making

Kids draw in the park,
grown-ups taste Changwon food —
a one-day autumn food festival.

This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. The character illustrations are GPT-generated.

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)