The annual festival celebrating Yanggu's signature agricultural products, apples and greens, will take place from November 6 to 8 at the Punchbowl Healing House in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. The '2026 Youth Yanggu Punchbowl Apple and Greens Festival' will feature unique dishes made from these local ingredients.
According to Yanggu County on November 5, the festival, organized by the Yanggu Cultural Foundation, will be themed 'Dive into Punchbowl' and will combine agricultural product sales, food preparation, performances, and on-site events.
This year, the festival has been renamed from the previous 'Greens and Apples Festival' to 'Apple and Greens Festival,' reflecting a change in the order of the two featured items. New apple and greens characters will also be introduced in photo zones and souvenirs.
Food experiences will feature different menus compared to last year. While last year's offerings included greens triangle kimbap and apple waffles, this year will showcase greens pondu kimbap, apple chewy pizza, and apple lollipops. Other activities will include making greens snacks, pounding rice cakes, and constructing candy houses. The festival will enhance existing experiences with new menu items and characters.
Participants can also create apple-shaped perler bead keychains, decorate keycaps using greens, and write letters to themselves to be opened in a year. An exhibition promoting apples and greens will run throughout the three days, and local restaurants will offer greens bibimbap and pancakes.
The production of these two crops is supported by the unique climate and terrain of Punchbowl. The Yanggu Agricultural Technology Center highlights the significant temperature differences and abundant sunlight in the highlands as key characteristics of local apples, which are known for their firm and crunchy flesh. The greens are made from a special variety of radish greens.
According to the Yanggu Cultural Foundation, Punchbowl greens are naturally dried through a process of freezing and thawing in the basin surrounded by mountains during winter. This festival aims to promote these production characteristics while introducing various uses for the ingredients through local food and snack-making activities.
There will also be events linked to on-site consumption. Visitors who spend over 20,000 won at the festival can receive a pair of disposable gloves, limited to the first 800 people each day. A 'Hot Time' event will distribute souvenirs five times a day, and participants who share on social media will receive apple hairpins.
Those who visit all three major festivals in Yanggu—gomchwi, baekob, and apple greens—will receive makgeolli, limited to the first 100 people each day.
Performances will take place daily. On the opening day, November 6, the festival will feature the traditional music group 'Teo,' the Yanggu Love Cultural Arts Group, and the 'Fun Fun Concert' with performances by Tae Jin-ah. On November 7, the opening ceremony will include congratulatory performances by An So-mi and Seong-ri, along with traditional games. The final day will showcase performances by local arts clubs and a concert featuring Lee Chang-min.
Kim Wang-kyu, the mayor of Yanggu County, stated, “As this is the last festival of the year held in Yanggu, we have put great effort into its preparation. I hope you come to the Apple and Greens Festival to purchase our country’s best apples and greens at lower prices and create many memories.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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