Whew! I can’t believe that January is done and dusted! We’re well into our new chaotic rhythm as a family of seven, and we’re just sort of trucking along as we go. Ryan’s back to work, I’m homeschooling the three older kiddos, and the babies are sort of falling into place however they possibly can – and it’s been a ton of fun (and a lot of tears) along the way. We’ve had one winter event on our radar that was an absolute must this year, and that was a repeat of the Pyeongchang Trout Festival, which we went to in 2023. After a busy week with modeling in Seoul and an appointment at the embassy for the babies’ CRBAs and passports though, we decided that I would go solo with Porter and Mieke to make it easier…and we did it!
The 2026 Pyeongchang Trout Festival
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about living abroad with the military, it’s that the further we get from post/base, the fewer foreigners we see. And, as usual, that rang true at the Pyeongchang Trout Festival. It’s about 2.5 hours from Camp Humphreys without traffic and, of course, there was plenty of traffic on the way up, so it took us over three hours to get there, and we were the only Americans there that day from what we could tell.
Since we went last-minute, we bought our tickets onsite, and we had one big thing on the docket; Porter wanted to do the bare-handed ice fishing that I did the last time we were there. Mieke wasn’t down for it, so we decided that just Porter would do it, and despite his nerves, he was super excited to try it. We bought our tickets, waiting about 30 minutes for the event to start, and he jumped into the icy pool to catch us lunch – and he did!
Why the Pyeongchang Trout Festival is Worth the Trip
I honestly think that anytime you venture out of your comfort zone (read: right by the US military base), you get a better glimpse into just how wonderful South Korea really is. Though my Korean is far better than it was last time we were here, it’s by no means fantastic, but there was no shortage of people willing to try and help us navigate the event. A sweet gentleman helped translate buying tickets, and another sweet lady took us the bare-hand fishing event and ensured Porter got into the queue in time. Then, when Porter stood freezing by the pool waiting for the event to start, a perfect stranger gave him her hot packs to hold and stay warm.
The event isn’t pricey when you think how much you’d spend at any carnival or event in the US, and it was definitely cheaper than most winter activities in Fairbanks, like Ice Alaska. Once he’d caught his fish with his bare hands, we took it to the event tent and paid 4,000KRW for them to process it and grill it, which is like $4 – wildly cheap and insanely delicious. And, after we were full of 탕후루 and trout, we went to try our hands at ice fishing. We didn’t stay long, and we weren’t successful, but plenty of people were, and it was so fun.
Because it’s an annual event, we’ll definitely go back next year, reserve one of the many little tents, and stay as a whole family because, yes, it’s fun for all ages!
Tips for Visiting the Pyeongchang Trout Festival
Price: Prices for the event vary based on the activities, though young children are free. Porter’s bare-handed ice fishing was 25,000KRW, and our entry tickets for ice fishing for the two of us were 25,000KRW each while Mieke’s was 15,000KRW. Ice fishing rods varied in price, but started at 3,000KRW. Visa was not accepted, but Amex and our Korean cards were.
Address: 강원도 평창군 진부면 경강로 3562
Parking: Parking is free, but the close lots fill up extremely fast, and the street parking does, as well. We sort of bandit parked behind a gas station, and it worked for us.
Hours: It’s open from 09:00 through 17:00 daily. The festival ran from January 9, 2026 and will go through February 9, 2026 this year.
Tips & Tricks: It gets crowded by about 10 AM, so I recommend being there earlier than later. You will need your Hi-Pass for tolls, or enough Won to pay. It was W10,800 in tolls each way. I also recommend bundling up. Because of the elevation and location, it’s chilly and extremely windy! While the fires are nice and toasty, the outside spaces are cold. You can bring your own food and drink, but there are plenty of little popup eateries, too. Only certain areas are accessible for strollers, so if you want to cart young children, I’d recommend either a wagon or babywearing.
