Korea Food Festivals — Must-Visit Noodle and Tteokbokki Events in November

Late autumn brings chilly weather that makes us want to curl up indoors, but this is actually prime season for vibrant Korea food festivals. November is packed with delightful culinary celebrations that food lovers should not miss.

In the wake of the pandemic, flour-based food festivals have exploded in popularity across the country, with iconic events like the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival and the Wonju Dumpling Festival leading the trend. The Gumi Ramen Festival in North Gyeongsang Province is another unmissable event.

Gumi is home to Nongshim’s largest ramen production plant in South Korea, earning it the nickname the ‘Ramen Holy Land’. Because freshness matters for ramen, visitors to the festival can taste newly produced noodles straight from the factory. This year also features a limited-edition domestic wheat ramen with 200,000 packs available, alongside unique regional ramen dishes made with monkfish, blue crab, and pine mushrooms.

Running from November 13 to 15, the Daejeon Noodle Festival highlights noodle culture in a city famous for its칼국수 (knife-cut noodles). Daejeon boasts over 700 noodle restaurants, a culinary tradition that traces back to post-Korean War days when flour was widely distributed as relief aid. This year’s festival features cooking shows by renowned chefs like Hong Seok-cheon and Raymon Kim.

In Sunchang, Jeonbuk State—the traditional heartland of gochujang (Korean chili paste)—the Sunchang Korea Tteokbokki Festa will be held on November 21–22. Visitors can watch cooking shows by chef Cho Gwang-hyo from Netflix’s ‘Culinary Class Wars 2’ and participate in tteokbokki sauce-making classes hosted by master gochujang artisan Kang Soon-ok.

Seasonal fruit and fish festivals are also taking center stage this month. The Goheung Yuja Festival runs from November 12 to 15 in South Jeolla Province, offering citron orchard strolls and citron syrup-making experiences. Meanwhile, Jeju Island hosts the Mosulpo Yellowtail Festival from November 19 to 22, featuring bare-handed yellowtail catching, cage fishing, and traditional singing performances by local female free divers.