Make Kimchi at the Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival

The 2026 Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival (평창 고랭지 김장축제) runs through November 16 at Jinbu Residents’ Sports Park in Pyeongchang. 1 Its central activity invites visitors to make kimchi using highland cabbage grown in Pyeongchang and other local produce. 2

The ninth edition opened on November 4, giving travelers a chance to join a hands-on celebration of kimjang, the Korean tradition of making and sharing kimchi. 1 3 Kimjang culture is recognized as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. 3 At this festival, the tradition is also a way to encounter the crops grown around Pyeongchang. 4

What happens at the kimchi-making experience?

Participants fill cabbage leaves with a red, seasoned mixture to make their kimchi. 5 The festival provides salted cabbage and seasoning, as well as disposable gloves, aprons and packing supplies. 5 You can take the finished kimchi with you or send it by parcel delivery. 5

The ingredient list gives the activity a strong local connection. Cabbage, radish, green onion, chili peppers and mustard greens are prepared with produce grown in the Pyeongchang area; the other seasoning ingredients are domestically sourced. 4 The supplied cabbage has already been salted, so participants can focus on adding the filling between the leaves. 5

The festival’s highland cabbage is grown at an average elevation of about 700 meters. 4 Jeonmae describes it as firm, with a distinctive savory flavor, and links those qualities to the large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures in the growing area. 4

The festival also has plans for a separate invited kimchi-making experience for foreign participants and foreign YouTubers. 3 If you are arranging your own visit, use the general reservation channels below rather than assuming that the invitation program is open for booking.

Hours and reservations

The festival operates daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 16. 4 JoongAng Ilbo reports that visitors need to reserve the kimchi-making experience through the festival website or on site. 6 For reservation and event information, the festival website and telephone number, 033-336-4000, are the reported contacts. 4

One booking detail is worth checking before you make plans: the prepared allocation for the premium experience sold out on the day reservations opened. 4 That experience uses cabbage salted with deep-sea-water salt. 4 The report concerns the premium allocation, so it should not be read as confirmation that every other kimchi-making option is sold out. Check the available options when making a reservation.

The festival began in Jinbu in 2016, and JoongAng Ilbo places its venue at the entrance to Odaesan. 6 For a visit built around the activity, the reservation information is the useful starting point; the festival’s daily operating hours describe the event as a whole. 4

Apples and local food

There is more to explore after making kimchi. Visitors can sample and buy Pyeongchang highland apples at a special promotion and browse other products at the agricultural specialties sale. 4 The kimchi-making area and the food area are separate spaces. 3

At the food area, look for boiled pork, acorn jelly and dumpling soup made with Daegwallyeong Korean beef broth. 4 The dishes are sold as foods to enjoy alongside kimjang kimchi, bringing the visit back to the cabbage at the center of the festival. 4