Cheongyang Pepper Festival at a Glance
The Cheongyang Pepper and Goji Berry Festival celebrates the two crops that made Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do, famous: fiery Cheongyang chili peppers and goji berries. The 27th edition ran over a September weekend (September 11–13, 2026) at Baekse Health Park, with free entry. In 2026 it felt more like a family festival than a farm market, thanks to Teenieping shows, kids’ magic and bubble shows and character activities.
- Venue: Baekse Health Park, 16-6 Euncheondong-gil, Cheongyang-eup
- Hours: generally 09:00–21:00, though some evening concerts run later
Why the Saturday Is Best for Kids
The festival greatly expanded its kids’ zone. On Saturday, the Catch! Teenieping sing-along ran twice, 11:00–12:00 and 16:30–17:30, so missing one is not a disaster. The small stage added kids’ magic shows, bubble magic and doodle concerts through the afternoon, and the Cheongyang mascot zone ran 14:00–20:00. Wood crafts, mascot cookie making, rice-cake making, face painting, a Teenieping photo zone and wood culture and VR zones round it out. Our plan: arrive at 10:30, catch the 11 a.m. show, lunch, then kids’ zones and small-stage shows.
More Than a Pepper Market
Food got a big upgrade at the Cheongyang Pepper Festival: a food court, specialty food village, food trucks and 28 food booths, up from 17. Highlights include a national high school cooking battle, a cooking show by celebrity chef Yeo Kyung-rae on the closing day, a “king of spicy” pepper-eating contest, a giant kimchi-making event and goji rice-cake mosaics.
The giant kimchi event cost 3,000 won and the rice-cake mosaic 1,000 won; online sign-up closed early, so check walk-up spots at the booth.
Buying Real Cheongyang Peppers
Sun-dried Cheongyang peppers sold for 15,000 won per 600 g, or 17,000 won with stems removed, from a limited 6-ton supply of washed and sorted peppers, plus chili flakes. Buying 6 kg of dried peppers earned a 10,000 won local voucher, and 2 kg of chili flakes a 5,000 won voucher. Buying produce straight from the source is part of the fun at the Cheongyang Pepper Festival.
Stay for the Evening Concerts
Opening night featured trot stars Song Ga-in and Park Ji-hyun at 8 p.m., with lasers and fireworks. Saturday brought Park Hyun-bin, Solji and Nayul from 8 to 9:30 p.m., after a Chungnam music festival and taekwondo show. The closing day ended with a moon-house burning, lasers and fireworks. Kids’ shows by day and concerts for parents at night make a full day at the Cheongyang Pepper Festival.
Parking and Shuttles
For the Cheongyang Pepper Festival, the county planned about 750 parking spaces plus temporary lots and shuttle buses. Check the official site for the latest map, and arrive early for the 11 a.m. show.
Nearby Cheongyang Sights
Chilgap Tower, opened in 2025, has a media hall, a Live Sketch room where kids’ drawings come to life on screen, a skywalk, a 57 m observatory and a 600 m floating footbridge.
Cheonjangho Lake’s 207 m suspension bridge is famous, but kids will love the 2,000 m² children’s eco park with ziplines and slides and the 177 m eco walk with net bridges; the lake loop is 1.1 km, about 30 minutes. Gowoon Botanical Garden and Janggoksa Temple are quieter options.
How to Plan It
Day trip: arrive around 10:30 → 11:00 Teenieping → lunch → mascot activity zone → magic, bubble and doodle shows → 16:30 second Teenieping show → dinner → concerts. For a relaxed Cheongyang Pepper Festival trip, stay a night and visit Chilgap Tower and Cheonjangho the next day.
FAQ
- When? Three days in mid-September (September 11–13 in 2026).
- Entry fee? Free; some activities and food cost extra.
- Best day with kids? Saturday, with two Teenieping shows and most kids’ programs.
- Parking? About 750 spaces, temporary lots and shuttles; check details before leaving.
- Nearby with kids? Chilgap Tower and Cheonjangho.
The Cheongyang Pepper Festival has grown into a genuine family festival, from Teenieping to cooking shows and night concerts.
Dates, programs and prices in this guide are as of the 2026 edition. Check the official website for next year’s schedule before you go.
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Schedules and prices can change, so check the VISITKOREA official tourism site before you go.