Chungcheongnam-do in January Festivals, dates and what's on

Chungcheongnam-do has one festival on record in January: Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27, paid admission. The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival (칠갑산 얼음분수축제) is a village-run winter festival at Alps Village (Cheonjang-ri) below Chilgapsan in Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do, where about 90 giant ice fountains, snow sculptures of cartoon characters and snow and ice sledding make a family day out, about three hours from Seoul by bus. The 2025–26 season, its 18th, ran 24 December 2025–22 February 2026; the 2026–27 season is expected from late December 2026 (in past years the full programme opened on 1 January) to mid or late February 2027, with dates not yet announced. Admission is paid, about ₩10,000–15,000, with sledding extra (about ₩25,000–35,000 with admission).

At a glance

FestivalDatesAdmissionNearest stationStatus
Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival칠갑산 얼음분수축제Expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27Paid admissionSee festival pageExpected

Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.

The festival

All festivals in Chungcheongnam-do
Cheonjangho Lake frozen over in winter, with its red-towered suspension bridge, near the Alps Village festival site Expected
Expected2026
Dec / Jan / Feb
usual window
FamilyCheongyangAbout 3 h from Seoul

Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival

The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival (칠갑산 얼음분수축제) is a village-run winter festival at Alps Village (Cheonjang-ri) below Chilgapsan in Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do, where about 90 giant ice fountains, snow sculptures of cartoon characters and snow and ice sledding make a family day out, about three hours from Seoul by bus. The 2025–26 season, its 18th, ran 24 December 2025–22 February 2026; the 2026–27 season is expected from late December 2026 (in past years the full programme opened on 1 January) to mid or late February 2027, with dates not yet announced.

January across Korea

All 17 festivals in January

January is ice season. It opens with sunrise festivals on the east coast, at Jeongdongjin in Gangneung and Homigot in Pohang, where crowds stay up on New Year's Eve for the year's first sunrise. Then the rivers freeze: Hwacheon cuts thousands of holes in its frozen stream for the mountain-trout festival, Hongcheon holds an ice-fishing festival on the frozen Hongcheon River, and Pyeongchang runs a trout festival beside the KTX line to Gangneung. Up in the Daegwallyeong highlands of the same county, the snow festival of sculptures and sled runs is planned to open on 30 January in 2027, and Taebaek builds snow sculptures in Taebaeksan National Park in late January or early February. In Cheongyang, the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival runs through the month. Seoul's lanterns along Cheonggyecheon usually stay lit into mid-January, Busan's Haeundae Light Festival and Gwangbok-ro light trees into January or February, and the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong until March; the ASSITEJ children's theatre festival in Daehak-ro runs into the first weekend.

Tip. Daytime temperatures in Hwacheon sit around −5 °C; ice-fishing slots sell out on weekends, so book the weekday session.

Questions travelers ask

Is there a festival in Chungcheongnam-do in January?

Chungcheongnam-do has one festival on record in January: Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27, paid admission. The Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival (칠갑산 얼음분수축제) is a village-run winter festival at Alps Village (Cheonjang-ri) below Chilgapsan in Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do, where about 90 giant ice fountains, snow sculptures of cartoon characters and snow and ice sledding make a family day out, about three hours from Seoul by bus. The 2025–26 season, its 18th, ran 24 December 2025–22 February 2026; the 2026–27 season is expected from late December 2026 (in past years the full programme opened on 1 January) to mid or late February 2027, with dates not yet announced. Admission is paid, about ₩10,000–15,000, with sledding extra (about ₩25,000–35,000 with admission).

When is Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival 2026?

Expected Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: See festival page. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

How do I get to Chungcheongnam-do?

Daecheon Station by Saemaeul train from Yongsan; Cheonan-Asan by KTX in 40 minutes; Buyeo by bus from Seoul Nambu Terminal.

What else is on in Korea in January?

17 festivals across Korea fall in January, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Daegwallyeong Snow Festival, Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm. Daytime temperatures in Hwacheon sit around −5 °C; ice-fishing slots sell out on weekends, so book the weekday session.