Gokseong Taro Festa Successfully Concludes 'Autumn Pulpul Picnic'

A Family-Oriented Autumn Festival Centered Around Taro

Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Cho Sangrae) announced on November 11 that the "2025 Gokseong Taro Festival Autumn Pulpul Picnic," held over two days from November 8 to 9 on the lawn in front of the Detox Therapy Center, successfully concluded with an enthusiastic response from family visitors.

This event was organized by the Gokseong Taro Doran Rural Convergence Business Group, which was selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Rural Convergence Industry District Development Project. It was planned as a family-oriented autumn festival centered around taro, Gokseong's signature specialty crop.

Gokseong County successfully concluded the Gokseong Taro Festa Autumn Pulpul Picnic event. Photo shows the panorama of the Taro Festa. Provided by Gokseong County

Over the course of two days, more than 500 visitors attended the festival, with most participants coming as families. They spread picnic mats on the lawn and enjoyed the autumn atmosphere together.

Local taro processing companies such as Mister Gonggi, Garangde, Food Papa F&B, Samgi Poom Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, and Sihyangga Agricultural Company Corporation participated in the event, along with the Detox Therapy Hub Center Healing Cooperative and Cafe Terraen. They captivated visitors' palates with a variety of taro-based menu items, including taro tarts, taro chips, taro tteokbokki, taro leaf rice, taro sausages, and taro milk tea.

In particular, family-friendly experiential programs such as the "Taro Drawing Treasure Hunt" and "Unlimited Taro Packing" brought joy to visitors throughout the venue. The "Taransformer Origami" activity saw parents and children folding paper together and laughing, while the "Taro Scented Candle Making" program was so popular that advance reservations for each session were quickly filled.

On stage, the first day featured a balloon show and a magic performance, while the second day offered a balloon bubble show and another magic performance, delivering laughter and amazement to both children and adults. Interactive events led by the host, such as the Taro OX Quiz and a shoe-throwing game, further energized the festival atmosphere.

Many families from nearby regions, including Gwangju, also attended the festival. One visitor remarked, "We happened to come on Saturday, and the kids enjoyed it so much that we returned again on Sunday."

The Gokseong Taro Festival has evolved beyond a simple local food event, establishing itself as a platform for revitalizing the local economy based on rural convergence industries. In particular, creative taro-processed products developed by young farmers were showcased at the festival, contributing to the growing recognition of Gokseong as "the home of taro."

A county official stated, "It was a pleasure to see visitors discovering the appeal of Gokseong taro while enjoying various taro-based foods and activities together," adding, "Having reaffirmed the value and potential of Gokseong taro through this festival, we will return next year with even richer programs."

Meanwhile, the county plans to use this event as an opportunity to enhance the brand value of taro and other local agricultural products, and will continue to promote various convergence strategies to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainable development of local agriculture.