Incheon, where Korean-style jajangmyeon was first created, will host a large-scale culinary culture festival shining a light on the history and food culture of the beloved noodle dish. The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it will hold the 2026 Incheon Jajangmyeon Festival for two days, from Oct. 3 to 4, across Hangmidan-gil, the Sangsang Platform and the Chinatown area.
 [코리안투데이] The official poster for the 2026 Incheon Jajangmyeon Festival © 장형임 기자 |
The festival was organized to promote Incheon’s story as the birthplace of Korean-style jajangmyeon and its rich food culture heritage, while organically linking the tourism resources and local commercial districts of the old open-port district. Originating as a dish favored by dock workers during the port-opening era, jajangmyeon has become one of the country’s most representative everyday foods, and Incheon is the city that holds its roots.
At Hangmidan-gil, the festival’s central venue, visitors will find tasting booths offering a variety of jajangmyeon dishes, along with food and beverage brand booths and hands-on activity and event booths. In Chinatown, a traditional Chinese lion dance and dragon dance parade will add to the festive mood. The Incheon e-ji GPS stamp tour, in which participants carry out missions while touring major nearby attractions, will also run, giving participants the chance to win prizes such as Chinatown meal kits.
On the first day, Oct. 3, hands-on programs including a Culture Village and a Kids Sangsang Playground for children and family visitors will be held at the Sangsang Platform. A jajangmyeon exhibition hall and an Incheon Sanghoe pop-up store will also open, and an academic seminar under the theme Global K-Food: The Current State and Future Direction of Jajangmyeon will be held, adding professional depth to the festival.
The same day, a live cooking show featuring chef Park Eun-young will take place at 4 p.m. on the special stage at Hangmidan-gil, followed in turn by a pre-show performance of the musical CHEF, the opening ceremony and a celebratory concert by invited singers. Side events in which citizens can take part directly, such as a hand-pulled noodle competition, jajang recreation games and a singing contest, will also be held over the two days.
There will be plenty to see at night as well. From 8 p.m. on Oct. 3, the 2026 all nights INCHEON Candlelight Concert will be held at the Wave Hall of the Sangsang Platform. Held as part of the 2026 Korea Bam-Bam Festa organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the concert will feature the string quartet Ensemble Tones performing 12 pieces, including Lee Moon-sae’s When Autumn Comes, film soundtracks and Disney music, on an LED candlelight stage, enlivening the autumn evening atmosphere of the open-port district.
Kim Young-shin, director-general of the city’s International Cooperation Bureau, said, ‘Through this festival, we hope to widely share the history and culture of jajangmyeon that Incheon embraces with citizens and tourists, and that it becomes an occasion to revitalize tourism in the old city center, including Chinatown, and to bring energy to local commercial districts.’
Hangmidan-gil will operate from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on both Oct. 3 and 4, while the Sangsang Platform will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 3. Detailed schedules and program information can be found on the websites of the Incheon Metropolitan Government and the Incheon Tourism Organization, as well as on the festival’s official Instagram (@jajangmyeon_festival).
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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