The 15th Pyeongchang Trout Festival (www.festival700.or.kr) kicked off on December 29th (Friday) and will run through January 28, 2024 (Sunday), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Odaecheon area in Jinbu-myeon of Pyeongchang County.

Since its inception in 2007, the Pyeongchang Trout Festival has experienced annual growth, contributing to the revitalization of the local economy, and generating jobs during the agricultural off-season in winter.

After a hiatus due to COVID-19, the festival made a successful return, attracting 400,000 visitors during the 14th edition in 2022. Notably, it has been designated as the ‘2024-2025 Cultural Tourism Festival’ by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism for its originality and satisfying festival content.

With the coinciding ‘2024 Winter Youth Olympics Gangwon’ starting on January 19, 2024, it is anticipated that foreign tourists will visit the festival in greater numbers.

The festival primarily features trout fishing, winter games, and food experiences. The highlight is ‘Trout Fishing,’ including ice fishing with 15cm-sized holes drilled into the ice, bare-handed fishing, and indoor fishing. In bare-handed fishing, participants can catch some trout with their bare hands, providing a different thrill compared to traditional fishing.

At the indoor fishing site, even children and the elderly can easily catch trout. Moreover, assistance is provided to anyone looking to catch some trout, both at the bare-handed fishing area and Indoor Fishing Center.

For beginners in trout fishing, a ‘Trout Fishing Class’ is also held, featuring fishing expert Lee Jeong-gu who is invited to teach them how to catch trout effectively.

The trout caught during the festival can be immediately prepared at nearby restaurants, offering options such as sashimi or roasted trout.

Fish restaurants provide a selection of 15 different trout menus, including spicy raw trout salad, raw trout bibimbap, sweet and sour trout, and spicy trout stew.

Visitors can also enjoy various winter leisure sports at the Snow Square and Ice Square, including snow sledding, snow rafting, and four-wheel ATV riding at the snow palace, as well as traditional sledding, skating, ice-bike riding, bumper car rides, and ice carting at the Ice Square.

The Committee of the Pyeongchang Trout Festival also holds the ‘Catch Golden Trout’ event for visitors. Those who catch a golden trout at the fishing center will win a commemorative plaque made of pure gold.

Chairman Choi Gi-sung said, “Pyeongchang has become a winter sports city, and is now popular as a winter festival city. We will do our best to ensure safety and create an environment where various visitors can enjoy the trout festival in Pyeongchang.”

Pyeongchang Trout Festival

The Pyeongchang Trout Festival will be held at the Odaecheon Pyeongchang Trout Festival in Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun from Friday, December 29 to Sunday, January 28, 2024. At the Pyeongchang Trout Festival, the lives of our ancestors are sublimated into a festival, and a trout festival is held every winter under the theme of ‘A winter story with snow, ice, and trout.’ You can enjoy the joy of a true winter festival with various experience programs such as trout fishing and sledding.

Website: http://festival700.or.kr