CHEONAN — "Come enjoy bread to your heart's content in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province."
Cheonan Mayor Jang Ki-soo said on the 12th that the city will hold "2026 Ppangppang Day Cheonan" — "ppangppang" repeats the Korean word for bread, ppang — from Oct. 17 to 18 at the Oryunmun Plaza area of the Cheonan Sports Complex, speaking at a regular briefing at the city hall briefing room.
"We have expanded 2026 Ppangppang Day Cheonan, the city's signature bread festival, into a multifaceted cultural festival that combines large-scale hands-on programs with support for the local economy," Jang said. "This year we are running it on an even larger scale as a cultural festival for seeing, tasting, making and enjoying."
The city also strengthened the festival's identity by applying designs proposed by students majoring in communication design at Sangmyung University, covering everything from promotional materials to on-site staging and a passport-style stamp tour.
The bread market will feature 53 leading neighborhood bakeries, including 12 first-time participants. A signature bread exhibition hall will display a total of 58 items — 16 award winners from a bakery competition, eight craft works, 31 signature breads from participating bakeries and three foreign breads — showcasing the artistic value of bread alongside a range of visual attractions.
Baking programs that let visitors take part directly have also been significantly expanded. The city increased the program from about 420 teams, or 2,580 people, last year to 13 types of sessions for 800 teams, or 4,872 people, this year.
Along with general baking sessions for 456 teams — making walnut cakes, mini doughnuts, pizza and bear-shaped cupcakes — there will also be sessions for 344 teams making traditional breads from eight countries, including Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
The city will also operate 17 "farmers market" stalls selling local agricultural specialties such as Cheonan pears, grapes, walnuts and wine. Companies including Namyang Dairy Products, Shinsegae Food and Innerside — a promising local startup the city has invested in — will take part with events and product giveaways.
During the festival, visitors who spend at least 10,000 won at the bread market and keep their receipt can return to the participating bakery between Oct. 19 and 31 to receive a 10% discount on purchases of 10,000 won or more.
Other programs, including a bread-themed photo-strip booth and a bread passport tour group, will run throughout the festival.
The opening ceremony on the 17th will feature a reading of the "Bread Charter" and a celebratory performance, followed by a drone light show using 1,000 drones and 60 fireworks drones. On the 18th, a local arts group for people with disabilities will stage a "Baking Happiness Bread Concert."
"This will go beyond a simple food festival," Mayor Jang said. "Residents and tourists will experience the appeal of bread firsthand, and local small business owners, farmers, companies and universities will all benefit together."