NS Food Festa

NS Food Festa 2026 at Harim First Kitchen, October 16–17

NS Food Festa 2026 Iksan is scheduled to take place over two days, from Friday, October 16, to Saturday, October 17, 2026, throughout Harim First Kitchen at 137 Iksandaero 78-gil, Hamyeol-eup, Iksan, North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province. This food culture festival has been hosted by NS Home Shopping since 2008 and has been held in Iksan since 2022, making 2026 the fifth time it has taken place in Iksan. This year's theme is “The best taste comes from freshness.” Electronic Times event announcement

The main attraction is a nationwide cooking competition where visitors can watch the cooking process up close. From 14:30 to 15:30 on October 16, 60 teams in the general category will compete in two-person teams with no restrictions on eligibility. The theme is meal kits made with fresh natural ingredients. The grand prize in the general category is 30 million won, and the excellence prize is 10 million won. Applications are open until 17:00 on August 23. 2026 Nationwide Cooking Competition information

• In the family category from 14:00 to 15:00 on October 17, one father and one elementary school-aged child will compete as a team.
• The family category is recruiting 60 teams, with applications open from August 27 to September 15.
• The family category prizes are 1 million won for the Happiness Prize, 500,000 won for the Harmony Prize, and 300,000 won for the Passion Prize.
• The finals of the 15th Low-Sodium and Low-Sugar Sam Sam Han Cooking Competition will also be held at the same festival venue on October 16. Participants must be at least 15 years old, and the 10 teams that pass the preliminary round will present signature dishes for a healthy and energetic meal table. Sam Sam Han Cooking Competition information

The K-Food route opened by the Iksan Station shuttle bus and Harim First Kitchen food tour

Here, it was more accurate to plan your route around access from Iksan Station rather than subway exit numbers. In 2025, a festival shuttle bus ran from in front of the Iksan Station bus stop to Harim First Kitchen. The first bus departed at 09:30 and the last bus at 16:30. The interval was one hour on the first day and 15 minutes on the second day. Details of the 2026 shuttle route and parking arrangements have not yet been announced, so it is best to check the festival transportation notices after arriving at Iksan Station. 2025 festival shuttle timetable

If you are going with foreign friends, it is convenient to save the taxi destination as Harim First Kitchen, 137 Iksandaero 78-gil, Hamyeol-eup, Iksan. In 2025, two-person teams including at least one foreign resident in Korea, member of a multicultural family, or international student participated in the global ramen competition, which took place from 13:00 to 14:00 on September 27. However, English signage and interpretation services were not separately mentioned in the 2026 announcement. 2025 Global Ramen Competition information

The food tour is a course that captures the unique character of this festival. At Harim First Kitchen, visitors can learn about the production processes for TheGastronomy and Foodie Buddy and watch noodles made with broth-based dough being cooked in the first stage. In 2025, a food tour connecting the First Kitchen production plant and the Smart Fulfillment Center was offered. Harim First Kitchen tour introduction

Admission was free in 2025, and the Fresh Market and Iksan Heritage Restaurants sections offered free tastings and discounted products. The 2026 admission fee and the card, cash, and mobile payment methods available at sales booths have not yet been specified. It may be reassuring to bring a card as your main payment method along with a small amount of cash. If you extend your Iksan trip by one day, you can also visit the National Iksan Museum at 362 Mireuksaji-ro, Geumma-myeon, Iksan, North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province, and continue from the food story to Baekje culture. Korea Tourism Organization 2025 festival information National Iksan Museum

An NS Food Festa route informed by the 2025 Odd Grocer queues

The most realistic variable at a weekend festival was the queues. In 2025, lines formed from 10:00 at the Iksan Heritage Restaurants promotional hall, the local agricultural and specialty products exhibition and tasting area, and the Harim Group tasting booth. The Odd Grocer brand zone also had an entrance queue. If you want to start with tastings, allow plenty of time to move around before and after the cooking competition start times—14:30 on October 16 and 14:00 on October 17. 2025 on-site report

• Because outdoor booths and queue routes are central to the event, bringing a hat, a folding umbrella, and water made things much easier. Visitors carrying parasols and umbrellas were also visible in photos from the 2025 event.
• Some 2025 visitors said that the indoor space was operated as a VIP seating area, leaving few indoor places to rest with children. If you plan to stay for a long time, consider outdoor routes when planning where you will sit and rest. 2025 visitor responses from the venue
• The 2026 arrangements for the number of restrooms, nursing room, and indoor rest areas have not yet been announced. The second-day schedule in 2025 included a rest zone, so upon arrival, check with the information booth for the rest zone and restroom locations to simplify your route.
• If you want to photograph the cooking competition, a spot where you can see both the presentation screen and the stage was more convenient than standing close to the cooking stations. At times, you may only be able to see hand movements among the crowd.

Who will enjoy an Iksan food trip, including the 15th Sam Sam Han Cooking Competition?

NS Food Festa was especially well suited to travelers who wanted to see how a dish progresses through production, distribution, and cooking rather than simply taking photos of food. The excitement of the two-person-team cooking competition, the finals of the Sam Sam Han Cooking Competition on October 16, and the First Kitchen food tour all take place at one venue, making it easier to understand K-food in greater detail.

Foreign friends who enjoy Korean food, people who find it fun to explore meal-kit ideas, and travelers curious about Iksan's food industry are likely to be highly satisfied. Before setting out, watch the official accompanying video to get a feel for the festival atmosphere, then coordinate your arrival time at Iksan Station with the competition schedule for a more relaxed visit.