The 2026 Daejeon Bakery Festival, where visitors can experience Daejeon's diverse bakery culture and exciting attractions all in one place, will be held for two days from October 17 (Saturday) to October 18 (Sunday) around the Expo Science Park area.

This year's festival features a record-breaking 120 local bakeries—more than last year—showcasing their signature menus filled with unique flavors. Through a variety of programs including bread-themed exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and live performances, the event aims to create unforgettable autumn memories for citizens and tourists alike.

The opening ceremony will take place at 6:00 PM on October 17, the first day of the festival. It will kick off with a collaborative 15-meter giant roll cake cutting performance alongside celebratory live performances.

At the heart of this year’s festival is the "Bread Station," bringing together bakeries from all over Daejeon into a single space. Divided into five zones (A through E), the Bread Station is designed to help visitors easily find their favorite bakeries. Visitors can purchase signature items from sought-after local spots at a discount of 5% or more compared to regular in-store prices.

The "Bread Gallery" offers a comprehensive look at the brand stories, signature menus, and store details of all 120 participating bakeries. It serves as a practical guide for the city's popular "bread pilgrimage" (ppang-ji-sun-rye), connecting the festival experience directly to actual store visits.

In addition to tasting delicious bread, visitors can enjoy making it themselves. The "Bakery Lab" offers baking experiences such as cookie-making in collaboration with local universities. The "Special Class" presents creative, science-infused programs: fresh fruit cakes and Shakerato-making on the first day, followed by conglomerate cookie excavation and Starpresso extraction experiments on the second day. Meanwhile, the "Bread Imagination Workshop" offers creative crafting activities such as making "Dreamdori" bread-eating keycaps and decorating bread mood lamps.

A wide array of participatory programs awaits visitors. The main stage will host the "Bread Jam Olympics," featuring activities like bread stacking and bread-trivia matching tailored for family visitors. Presenting a bread purchase receipt unlocks various mini-games including bread drops, oven timers, bread touch, and bread basketball.

Throughout the festival grounds, "Bread-ful Busking" performances by local artists, fringe cultural shows, and the Daejeon Blues Creative Song Festival will take place. Photo zones featuring Daejeon’s official mascot, the "Dream C-Family," and a vibrant flea market will also operate, where local creators will sell crafts and design goods inspired by the mascots.

To ensure a comfortable experience, the City of Daejeon has set up dedicated dining and resting spaces, including special care zones for families with infants and elderly visitors. Accessibility will be enhanced through an "Escort Service" with dedicated staff assisting visitors, as well as Braille leaflets for vulnerable groups.

As the festival moves to Expo Science Park for the first time, major efforts have been made to secure convenient transportation. A total of 3,600 parking spaces have been secured across eight nearby locations, and shuttle buses will run for public transit users. Shuttles connecting Daejeon Government Complex Station and the venue will operate every 15 minutes, while routes connecting Daejeon Station's East Square will run hourly. Public "Tashu" bicycles will also be heavily deployed near Exit 4 of the Government Complex Station.

Various cultural and experiential events will run concurrently around the festival venue. The Daejeon Convention Center Exhibition Hall 2 will host the "2026 Daejeon Content Fair" from October 16 (Friday) to October 18 (Sunday) with 127 content companies participating. The Daejeon Esports Arena will host the "PUBG Mobile Pro Series 2026 Season 2 Finals" from October 17 to 18.

Additionally, the "10th Safe Daejeon Safety Experience Madang" will take place around the Expo Citizens' Plaza from October 16 to 17, and the "Invictus Games Daejeon 2029 Declaration Ceremony" will be held at the Hanbat Arboretum Circular Lawn Plaza on October 17. The Expo Bridge will feature nighttime experience programs and busking performances linked to the "2026 Delight Expo Bridge" project, offering entertainment from day into night.

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung stated, "Daejeon is a city where bakeries with a long history and diverse charms harmoniously blend with vibrant cultural contents. We hope visitors will enjoy not only delicious bread but also the surrounding cultural events to fully experience the appeal of Daejeon at this year’s festival."

He added, "We will do our utmost in event management and safety controls so that all citizens and visitors can enjoy the festival safely and comfortably."

Meanwhile, the 2026 Daejeon Bakery Festival will run daily from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Detailed information on main events and participating bakeries can be found on the official Instagram account (@bakery_festival_daejeon).

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