Five festivals are confirmed for Korea in October 2026: Gunsan Jjamppong (Oct 9–11, free entry), GHOST Festival Paju (Oct 9–11), Seosan Chrysanthemum (Oct 10–20), Nonsan Gangyeong (Oct 15–18) and Mokpo Harbor (Oct 16–18).
October has two 3-day weekends this year, so 12 of the 20 festivals tracked for the month cluster on Oct 3–5 and Oct 9–11, and only Oct 6–8 stays quiet.
This post gives the full date-and-place schedule first, then food prices, the Oct 9–11 weekend head-to-head, the mid-October food festivals, and what to check before booking anything around BIFF, Andong, Jinju or the Busan fireworks.
Korea Festivals in October 2026: the Full Schedule
| Gunsan Jjamppong Festival (Baeknyeon Plaza, Gunsan) | Oct 9–11, 12:00–22:00, free entry · food paid |
|---|---|
| GHOST Festival (Imjingak Pyeonghwa-Nuri, Paju) | Oct 9–11, grounds 11:00–22:30 · ticket prices not confirmed |
| Seosan Chrysanthemum Festival (Haemi-eupseong, Seosan) | Oct 10–20 (11 days), night lighting from 6 PM, free entry · some programs paid |
| Gangyeong Salted Seafood & Sangwol Sweet Potato (Nonsan) | Oct 15–18, Gangyeong Geumgang riverside |
| Mokpo Harbor Festival (Mokpo Port, Samhakdo) | Oct 16–18, 12:00–21:00, food sold separately |
Five festivals have confirmed 2026 dates: Gunsan Jjamppong and GHOST on Oct 9–11, Seosan Chrysanthemum on Oct 10–20, Gangyeong in Nonsan on Oct 15–18, and Mokpo Harbor on Oct 16–18.
| Festival | Dates | Hours | Entry model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsan Jjamppong (Baeknyeon Plaza) | Oct 9–11 | 12:00–22:00 | Free entry, food paid |
| GHOST (Imjingak, Paju) | Oct 9–11 | 11:00–22:30 | Free shuttle, F&B 12:00–21:00 |
| Seosan Chrysanthemum | Oct 10–20 | 11 days | Free entry, some programs paid |
| Gangyeong Salted Seafood (Nonsan) | Oct 15–18 | 4 days | Official cultural tourism festival |
| Mokpo Harbor | Oct 16–18 | 12:00–21:00 | Free grounds, food paid |
Two more things to note on the schedule itself.
GHOST Festival is a K-Drama and film OST event at the DMZ border site in Paju, and its food zone closes earlier than the grounds (last order 20:50).
And the Gunsan Jjamppong Festival runs independently in 2026, no longer bundled with the Gunsan Time Travel Festival, so last year’s combined plans no longer apply.
I check the exact dates and whether a festival is actually open that week before anything else, because Mokpo moved months this year — last year’s schedule is worthless in 2026.
When Are the October 2026 Holidays — and Which Days Are Quietest?
October 2026 has two 3-day weekends: Oct 3–5 (National Foundation Day substitute holiday on Monday Oct 5) and Oct 9–11 (Hangeul Day on Friday Oct 9).
Of 20 festivals tracked for the month, 12 fall on those two weekends, so those are the crowded days.
Oct 6–8, the Tuesday-to-Thursday stretch between them, is the only non-holiday weekday window and the least crowded time to visit.
Regionally, the timing spreads out differently: Jeolla festivals cluster tightly Oct 7–18, Chungcheong packs most of its events into Oct 1–11, Gyeonggi spreads Oct 2–25, and Busan–Gyeongnam runs the longest, Sep 22–Oct 25.
If your only free days are Oct 6–8, plan around Seosan Chrysanthemum — it runs through that window while the 3-day festivals do not.
What Does Food Cost at Each Festival?
Gunsan is the cheapest per meal (jjajangmyeon half serving 4,000 KRW, gunmandu 5 pcs 3,000 KRW, jjamppong + tangsuyuk set 10,000 KRW, entry free) and Mokpo’s chef-run food zones run 10,000–20,000 KRW a dish.
| Item | Mokpo chef zone | Gunsan stall |
|---|---|---|
| Base dish | squid-omul pasta 12,000 KRW | jjamppong 0.5-serving 6,000 KRW |
| Top dish | Heuksando hongeo-hoe 20,000 KRW | chadol jjamppong 8,000 KRW |
| Mid items | hongeo muchim 15,000 KRW, min-eo-hoe 18,000 KRW, smoked min-eo 16,000 KRW | jjajangmyeon 0.5-serving 4,000 KRW, gunmandu 5 pcs 3,000 KRW |
| Set | — | jjamppong + tangsuyuk set 10,000 KRW |
Gunsan Jjamppong Festival prices, confirmed September 2026, are listed in the table above.
The jjajang + tangsuyuk set at 8,000 KRW is 2,000 KRW cheaper than the jjamppong + tangsuyuk set at 10,000 KRW.
The top Mokpo item is about 3.3× Gunsan’s 6,000 KRW base bowl (20,000 ÷ 6,000).
Seosan works differently: entry is free and more than 100 chrysanthemum varieties and 300,000+ blooms are the draw, with local specialties like Seosan garlic, ginger hangwa and eoriguljeot on sale, though some experience programs are paid.
On a food budget, Gunsan covers a full meal for around 10,000 KRW with a jjamppong and tangsuyuk set; at Mokpo you are paying for chef-prepared seafood, with dishes like heuksando hongeo-hoe at 20,000 KRW.
The Gunsan vendor list may change before opening, so treat the stall prices as current as of the September 2026 update.
Gunsan, GHOST or Seosan for the Oct 9–11 Weekend?
Three festivals run simultaneously on the Hangeul Day weekend, so pick by region and theme, not by date.
| Gunsan Jjamppong | GHOST Festival | Seosan Chrysanthemum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Oct 9–11, 12:00–22:00 | Oct 9–11, 11:00–22:30 | Oct 10–20 (11 days) |
| Place | Baeknyeon Plaza, Gunsan (Jeonbuk) | Imjingak Pyeonghwa-Nuri, Paju (Gyeonggi) | Haemi-eupseong, Seosan (Chungcheong) |
| Entry | Free, food paid | Grounds open; ticket prices not confirmed | Free, some programs paid |
| Theme | Chinese-food stalls, 7 invited jjamppong shops, band and magic shows | K-Drama & Film OST at the DMZ, daily programming 13:00–22:00 | 100+ chrysanthemum varieties, 300,000+ blooms, night lighting from 6 PM |
GHOST is the one to pick if you have no car: a free shuttle runs from Munsan Station Exit 1 every 30 minutes, 10:00–22:30, and the venue sits at Imjingak-ro 148-40, Munsan-eup, Paju.
Inside, paid lockers are at the ticket booth area and the F&B zone closes at 21:00 with last order 20:50.
Gunsan’s night program is a ‘Jjamppong Restaurant’ performance plus a citywide jjamppong-restaurant tour event; the reservation method for the night program has not been published.
Seosan starts a day later and runs 8 days longer than the other two (11 days vs 3), so it also works if the holiday weekend itself does not fit your trip.
Gangyeong and Mokpo: the Mid-October Food Festivals (Oct 15–18)
The Gangyeong Salted Seafood & Sangwol Sweet Potato Festival runs Oct 15–18, 2026 at the Gangyeong Geumgang riverside in Nonsan (Geombaek-ro 45, Gangyeong-eup).
It is a designated national culture and tourism festival built on a 200-year-old Gangyeong salted-seafood (jeotgal) tradition with low-salt aging.
Programs include kimchi-jeot and hwangseokeo-jeot making, an opening concert, a madang play, a fusion jeot cooking contest and fireworks at Gangnaru.
Contact: 041-730-2972~3, 2982~3 (Nonsan Culture & Tourism Foundation).
Mokpo Harbor Festival runs Oct 16–18, 2026, 12:00–21:00 at Mokpo Port and Samhakdo, on a new ‘9-Rak’ concept built on Mokpo’s 9 tastes and 9 views.
Three food zones (Eobu Bapsang chef seafood, Pasi Market, and the Gwitero grill experience) and a nightly 7 PM main stage — Sea Concert, harbor music night, Nanyeong Song Festival — run through the evening.
One warning: Mokpo was held in September in 2025 and moved to October in 2026, so any September-based schedule you find is wrong for this year.
Still Unconfirmed: BIFF, Andong, Jinju and the Busan Fireworks
Three big October names are not confirmed on official pages yet: BIFF (Busan International Film Festival), the Andong International Mask Dance Festival and the Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival.
What can be said now: BIFF is reported to open in early October and run about 10 days, while Andong and Jinju are only listed as ‘October 2026’ in season roundups.
None of the exact opening or closing days have been published on a primary page in this search round.
Before you book anything around them:
- Check biff.kr for BIFF’s exact dates and venue lineup.
- Check each festival’s official site for Andong and Jinju dates.
- Do not build hotel bookings around these dates until the official pages go up.
The Busan Fireworks Festival is listed for Nov 15, 2026 on a travel blog, not the city’s official page, so treat that date the same way — it falls after October either way.
If a Busan stop is on your itinerary, I would not plan the BIFF days from memory; the 2026 dates are not on a primary page yet, so confirm on biff.kr first.
Likewise, Andong and Jinju are ‘October’ only for now — hold off on rooms around them.
Related posts
📎 📅 Upcoming Dates — Release & Event Calendar
Sources
- Oct 15-18, Gangyeong Geumgang riverside, Nonsan (support.nonsan.go.kr)
- Oct 16-18, 12:00-21:00, Mokpo Port & Samhakdo, 9-Rak concept (mokpoharborfestival.com)
- 20-festival regional roundup with holiday structure Oct 3-5 (shpapa02.com)
Dates to Write in Your Calendar
- Oct 3–5: first 3-day weekend — festivals cluster here, substitute holiday on Mon Oct 5.
- Oct 6–8: the only quiet weekday stretch between the two long weekends.
- Oct 9–11: Gunsan Jjamppong (12:00–22:00, Baeknyeon Plaza) and GHOST (11:00–22:30, Imjingak) run together; Seosan opens Oct 10.
- Oct 10–20: Seosan Chrysanthemum at Haemi-eupseong — night lighting from 6 PM, fullest blooms Oct 14–17.
- Oct 15–18: Gangyeong Salted Seafood & Sangwol Sweet Potato Festival, Nonsan riverside. · Oct 16–18: Mokpo Harbor Festival, 12:00–21:00, nightly 7 PM stage.
FAQ
Q. What festivals are in Korea in October 2026?
Five with confirmed dates: Gunsan Jjamppong (Oct 9–11), GHOST Festival Paju (Oct 9–11), Seosan Chrysanthemum (Oct 10–20), Gangyeong Nonsan (Oct 15–18) and Mokpo Harbor (Oct 16–18). BIFF, Andong and Jinju dates are not yet on official pages.
Q. Is Gunsan Jjamppong Festival free?
Yes. Entry is free and food is paid — for example jjajangmyeon half serving 4,000 KRW and a jjamppong + tangsuyuk set 10,000 KRW (September 2026 price list).
Q. Where is GHOST Festival held and how do I get there?
At Imjingak Pyeonghwa-Nuri, 148-40 Imjingak-ro, Paju. A free shuttle runs from Munsan Station Exit 1 every 30 minutes, 10:00–22:30, during Oct 9–11.
Q. Is Mokpo Harbor Festival still in September?
No. It moved from September (2025) to October in 2026 — Oct 16–18, 12:00–21:00 at Mokpo Port and Samhakdo. September schedules are out of date.
Q. When is the quietest time to visit Korea festivals in October 2026?
Oct 6–8 (Tue–Thu), the only non-holiday weekdays between the two 3-day weekends. Seosan Chrysanthemum is open that window; the 3-day festivals are not.
Dates for your calendar: BIFF is reported to open in early October (confirm on biff.kr before booking), and the Busan Fireworks Festival is listed for Nov 15, 2026 — after October, and from a secondary source only.
Cover photo: AI-generated illustration (autumn festival lanterns) — AI-generated image, illustrative only
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