Danyang's traditional market embraces Dracula theme to pitch local garlic
Danyang Gugyeong Market in North Chungcheong Province / Korea Times file
Count Dracula might want to reconsider his weekend travel plans.
Danyang Gugyeong Market in North Chungcheong Province is turning into a garlic lover’s paradise — and a vampire’s worst nightmare — from Friday to Saturday for the 2026 Danyang Garlic Festival Season 2: Count Dracula’s Secret Shop, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Thursday.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KTO, the event fuses local six-clove garlic with gothic fantasy to create an unforgettable traditional market experience.
Last year’s Dracula Garlic Night drew nearly 8,900 brave souls, but this year's sequel promises to raise the stakes. Local shopkeepers are dressing up as immortal shopmasters, offering rich culinary delights while turning the market aisles into a haunted gauntlet. Visitors can embark on a ghostly stamp tour, creeping through secret shops decorated with cobwebs and bats to claim exclusive souvenirs.
For foodies dying to satisfy their appetite, the festival features the Secret Banquet, a prebooked four-course fine dining experience showcasing local garlic paired with regional delicacies.
Need something to wash down all those cloves? Head over to the Secret Potion booth for custom mocktails crafted with Narangd Cider, or stop by the traditional liquor cocktail bar for a spirits-raising drink.
The entertainment lineup is equally spellbinding.
The market will host an Immortal Parade marching through the alleys, street jazz performances in collaboration with the Chungbuk Cultural Foundation and an evening bash dubbed the Alchemist's Brewery & Secret Party.
Beyond the festivities, the market is also casting a spell of customer satisfaction. Through the K-Tourism Market Smile Campaign, vendors are committing to transparent pricing, card payments, clean facilities and friendly service. Anyone spending over 20,000 won ($14) can spin a prize wheel for a shot at winning market vouchers.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.