I Came Hungry
Pap Steve here. I drove down from Blythewood to Columbia for the Columbia Korean Festival on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The flyer promised “Celebrating the Best of Korean Food and Culture – Bringing Seoul to Columbia.” I had one plan. Eat my way through it.
It ran 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at 1412 Richland Street in downtown Columbia.
I’m not a food critic. I’m a grandpa with a fork and an honest mouth. If something’s great, I’ll tell you. If it’s just okay, I’ll tell you that too.
No grandkids this time. This was an empty-nester date for Mimi and me, with Mimi as my official tasting partner. It was our first time at this festival, so we went in with empty stomachs and zero game plan. Dinner and a show, ’80s style, except the show was a kimchi pancake.
Getting In: Tickets and First Look
First thing you’ll want to know: it runs on tickets. Little yellow ones that say “2026 KFF,” $2.00 apiece, the old-school roll-ticket kind from Indiana Ticket Co. They take cash, debit or credit, and most dishes run 3 to 6 tickets. Proceeds support local charities and missions, so you can call seconds a good deed. Grab a strip and you’re in business. It felt a little like the arcade in 1985, except the prize was dinner.
The street was lined with white and blue tents, and you could spot the big KOREAN FESTIVAL banner and a Samsung banner over the crowd.
The Food (The Real Reason I Went)
My tasting partner for the day was Mimi, and we split everything right down the middle. Well, mostly. Here’s what we walked away with.
One more thing: everybody behind those tables was happy to explain the food. Ask “what’s this?” and you’d get a smile and the whole story, no eye-roll. Felt like asking your neighbor about her casserole, if your neighbor made really good kimchi.
Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi-Jeon), Times Two
Kimchi-jeon (3 tickets on the flyer) is a thin, pan-fried pancake with chopped kimchi mixed right into the batter. Ours came out golden-orange with crispy browned edges and a toothpick stuck in the middle like a little flag.
Hands down, it was both Mimi’s and my favorite thing all day. Mimi liked it so much we went back and bought a second one. When Mimi orders seconds, you write that down.
Gimbap, a.k.a. “Korean Sushi”
Gimbap (every sign at the festival said “kimbap,” and the flyer went with “Gimbop,” 5 tickets) is rice and fillings rolled up in seaweed and sliced into rounds. Mimi and I took one look and called it “Korean sushi.” It’s not sushi, but it’s sushi’s cousin who shows up to the reunion and you’re glad they came. Solid second place.
Fair warning: the gimbap line was the longest line at the entire festival. We waited about 20 minutes. Why? Every single roll was made fresh, right there, one at a time. And you could taste it. The rice was fresh, everything inside was fresh, nothing sitting around under plastic wrap. Twenty minutes in line felt like waiting for a song to come on the radio so you could hit record on the tape deck. Worth it.
Ours came home in an Onni’s Kimbap container. Pop the lid and there they are, lined up neat as a row of cassette tapes.
Look at those rounds: seaweed on the outside, rice, and a little bullseye of fillings in the middle. That’s what twenty minutes of fresh rolling gets you.
Barbecue Pork Sticks
Barbecue pork, threaded on a stick and grilled. Basically the corn dog’s smarter cousin: meat on a stick, no plate required, walk and eat. Ours tasted sweet and a little smoky, like somebody’s backyard grill got a glaze upgrade. Didn’t last long.
Sweet Buns (Hotteok)
These are Korean sweet buns, called hotteok: a pan-fried dough pocket with a sweet brown sugar filling inside. Ours didn’t have a ton of filling, but there was enough to know it was there, and that’s the part you’re chasing. Warm, sweet, and a fine way to finish a lap around the festival. Keep a napkin handy anyway.
Kimchi and Cucumber Kimchi to Take Home
We didn’t leave empty-handed. Columbia Korean Global Methodist Church was selling kimchi by the tub, and both of ours, the regular cabbage kimchi and the cucumber kimchi, came from their booth. One stop, two tubs, done. Per the flyer, a 16 oz kimchi is 4 tickets and cucumber kimchi comes in sizes at 4, 6 or 7 tickets.
Regular kimchi is fermented napa cabbage with red pepper, garlic and ginger. It’s red, crunchy and a little funky in the best way. The cabbage kimchi was my pick. I liked it a lot.
Cucumber kimchi is the crisp, fresher little brother: cucumber spears in the same spicy red seasoning. Mimi loved the cucumber kimchi. So that’s one tub each, and nobody has to share.
If you’ve read my sauerkraut post, you know I’ve got a soft spot for anything fermented in a jar.
Also on the Menu
We couldn’t eat it all, but here’s what else we spotted: fried mandu (dumplings), japchae, a Spicy Pork Rice Cup, Fish Shaped Buns, Korean Corn Dogs, and foil takeout trays of banchan (little side dishes) with sweet potato and radish going in. Next year, Pap Steve’s stomach is coming in training.
Booths Worth a Stop
The Korean School of Columbia had a booth going, with signs for coffee, yuzu and boba, plus a Korean-language banner for citron tea and coffee.
A few more booths I passed:
- WELCOME SC KOREAN FESTIVAL food stall, with kimbap, japchae, pork BBQ and kimchi on the menu
- Columbia Korean Global Methodist Church, selling kimchi (both of our tubs came from here)
- Seoul Restaurant tent, set up right behind the Columbia Korean Global Methodist Church kimchi booth
- The fish bun and Korean corn dog stands, both with lines
Festival T-shirts were 12 tickets, if you want a souvenir that isn’t a kimchi stain.
The Vibe on the Grounds
Street tents ran down the block under the KOREAN FESTIVAL and Samsung banners. It was crowded, and it was a family crowd.
It’s not just food. The flyer lists performances like Samulnori (traditional Korean drumming), taekwondo, a traditional wedding, K-Pop and a fan dance. We caught the traditional wedding and that was it. Didn’t stay for any of the others. I’m not going to pretend otherwise: we came for the food, and the food is what we stayed for.
It was family friendly and dog friendly, too. But we left Pepper, our rambunctious 7-year-old black lab, at home. With that crowd, we’d have spent the whole day reining her in instead of eating, and honestly, she wouldn’t have enjoyed it either. Some days the dog gets the couch and the grandpa gets the kimchi pancake.
Best Bite of the Day
No contest: the kimchi pancake. Mimi and I both picked it without even talking it over, and when two people agree on food that fast, you know it’s the real deal. The gimbap, our “Korean sushi,” was a close second.
Tips If You Go Next Year
- Come hungry. Pace yourself. Share plates so you can try more.
- Figure out tickets first. They’re $2 each, and they take cash, debit or credit.
- Ask questions. Read the menu boards, then ask the folks at the booth. Everyone was very happy to explain the food.
- Wear comfortable shoes. It’s a lot of walking on pavement.
- Budget time for the gimbap line. About 20 minutes when we went, the longest at the festival. It’s rolled fresh, and it’s worth the wait.
The Verdict
This was our first time at the Columbia Korean Festival, and I’ll say it plain: we’ll definitely be back. It was family friendly, dog friendly (even if Pepper got the day off), and packed with good food from good folks raising money for good causes. Two kimchi pancakes, a gimbap “Korean sushi” roll, and a tub of kimchi later, the verdict is simple: definitely worth the drive. Next year I’m bringing a bigger appetite, and maybe stretchy pants. It worked for Garfield.
That’s my take. If you’ve been, tell me in the comments what I should eat next time. I’ll bring the appetite.
— Pap Steve
FAQ
When and where is the Columbia Korean Festival?
The 2026 festival was Saturday, October 31, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at 1412 Richland Street, Columbia, SC.
How do you pay for food?
With $2 food tickets. They take cash, debit or credit. Proceeds support local charities and missions.
How many tickets do dishes cost?
Here’s the menu from the flyer, in tickets:
- Bulgogi Cup Bop: 6
- Tteok Bokki: 5
- Chicken Skewer: 4
- Kimchi Jeon: 3
- Bibim Bop: 5
- Japchae: 5
- Gimbop: 5
- Honey Garlic Wings: 6
- Korean Corn Dog: 5
- Kimchi (16 oz): 4
- Cucumber Kimchi: 4, 6 or 7 (16, 24 or 32 oz)
- Snack Gift Set: 5
- Korean Ice Bar: 2
- Festival T-shirt: 12
So our kimchi jeon ran 3 tickets ($6) each. Mimi’s second one was the best $6 we spent all day.
Is it family-friendly?
Yes. Families everywhere, games and activities on the flyer, and plenty of food little ones will eat. Just expect a crowd.
Can you bring a dog?
It was a dog-friendly festival. Just know it gets crowded, so if your pup is a wiggler like our Pepper, you might leave them home like we did.
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