Now in its 6th year and in a new venue, the Daejeon Bread Festival brings 120 bakeries to Expo Science Park on Oct. 17–18, with free entry
🎧 Post Summary
📌 1-Minute Summary
The Daejeon Bread Festival takes place this weekend, on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18. This year the event has moved to the Hanbit Tower area of Daejeon Expo Science Park, and admission is free. About 120 local bakeries are taking part, roughly 20 more than last year, including the famous Sungsimdang. Signature items are being sold at a discount of at least 5 percent off in-store prices. The opening ceremony is at 6 p.m. on the 17th and features the cutting of a 15-meter roll cake. Around 3,600 parking spaces have been secured near the venue, and shuttle buses run from Government Complex Daejeon Station and Daejeon Station. City officials expect about 200,000 visitors, so public transport and a flexible schedule are recommended.
Every autumn, the aroma of fresh bread gets a little stronger in Daejeon, South Korea’s self-proclaimed “bread city.” This year’s festival leaves the old downtown district of Sojae-dong, where it was held until last year, and moves to Expo Science Park. Here is what has changed, how to get there, and what to do once you arrive.
① The Basics at a Glance
- Dates: Saturday, Oct. 17 – Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026
- Hours: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily (per the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
- Venue: Hanbit Tower area, Daejeon Expo Science Park
- Admission: Free
- Organizer: Daejeon Tourism Organization (inquiries: +82-42-477-5181)
- Official channel: Instagram @bakery_festival_daejeon
② What’s New This Year: A New Venue and a Bigger Lineup
The biggest change is the location. According to JoongAng Ilbo, construction work in the Sojae-dong old downtown area of Dong District, where the festival was held through last year, forced the move to Expo Science Park. The 6th edition draws roughly 120 participating businesses, about 20 more than last year, and includes Daejeon’s best-known bakery, Sungsimdang.
The city expects about 200,000 visitors this year, up from roughly 168,000 last year. Daejeon is said to have around 600 bakeries in operation, so the festival gathers 120 of them in one place.
③ What to Do: From the “Bread Stop” to Science Workshops
Bread Stop — The centerpiece of this year’s festival. The area is divided into five zones so visitors can easily find the bakeries they want, and each bakery’s signature item is sold at least 5% below its in-store price.
Hands-on programs — The “Bakery Lab” offers baking classes run with local universities. The “Special Class,” which plays on Daejeon’s identity as a science city, covers making fresh-fruit cake and shakerato (iced shaken espresso) on day one, and a conglomerate-rock cookie “excavation” and a Starpresso coffee extraction experiment on day two. At the “Bread Imagination Workshop,” you can make a bread-eating Kkumdori keycap or a bread mood lamp.
Family programs — The main stage hosts the “Bread Fun Olympics,” with games such as stacking bread towers and guessing bread pictures. Show a bread purchase receipt to join extra games like bread drop, oven timer, bread touch and bread basketball.
Performances and culture — The opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on the 17th features a 15-meter roll cake cutting with citizens and a celebration performance. It is followed by busking by local artists, fringe performances and the Daejeon Blues songwriting contest, plus a Kkumssi Family photo zone and a flea market. On the Expo Bridge, night-time activities and busking tie in with the “Delight Expo Bridge” project.
④ Getting There: 3,600 Parking Spaces and Shuttle Buses
Because this is the festival’s first year at Expo Science Park, the city has put dedicated transport measures in place.
- Parking: 3,600 spaces across 8 lots near the venue
- Shuttle (Government Complex Station): Daejeon Metro Government Complex Station ↔ venue, every 15 minutes
- Shuttle (Daejeon Station): Daejeon Station East Plaza ↔ venue, every hour
- Public bikes: More Tashu bikes at Exit 4 of Government Complex Station
- Night double-decker “D-Universe”: Loops between Daejeon Station East Plaza, Hanbat Arboretum and the Hanbit Tower water plaza
⑤ Cheonan Holds Its Own “Bbang Bbang Day” the Same Weekend
On the same dates, Cheonan hosts the “2026 Bbang Bbang Day” at Cheonan Sports Complex. Fifty-three local bakeries take part, with 13 hands-on activities including walnut cookie making, and the city expects 300,000 visitors. With two bread festivals overlapping, it is worth deciding on your destination before heading out.
📌 Good to Know
- Expect crowds: Visitors to the 2024 festival reported waiting more than two hours just to get in. With 200,000 people expected this year, plan for queues.
- Recheck the hours: Most reports and the ministry’s listing say 1–9 p.m., but some guides give an 8:30 p.m. closing. Confirm on the official Instagram before you leave.
- Take transit if you can: Eight parking lots are available, but weekend evenings may get crowded, so shuttles and the metro are easier.
- Popular bread goes early: Booths like Sungsimdang may have long lines. Arrive right at opening if buying bread is the goal, or in the late afternoon if you prefer performances and the evening atmosphere.
In short, this is the first year of the “Expo Science Park era,” with a new venue, a bigger scale and a fuller transport plan. According to Korea Economic Daily, the city also plans to rename next year’s event the “Daebbang Festival” and expand it to 17 days, from Oct. 1 to 17, across the whole city. Before it grows that large, this weekend may be one of the last chances to enjoy a compact two-day bread festival.
References
- JoongAng Ilbo (Korea Daily) — Two “bread cities” go head to head as festivals fall on the same day (koreadaily.com)
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — Daejeon Bread Festival (mcst.go.kr)
- The CEN News — Daejeon Bread Festival opens on the 17th with 120 bakeries including Sungsimdang (mhns.co.kr)
- Financial News — 120 bakeries gather for the largest Daejeon bread festival yet (fnnews.com)
- Daejeon City Journal — 2026 Daejeon Bread Festival moves to Expo Science Park (gocj.net)
- Korea Economic Daily — Budget jumps from 450 million to 4 billion won for next year’s Daejeon bread festival (hankyung.com)
- Segye Ilbo — Crowds at the 2024 Daejeon Bread Festival (segye.com)