Rooftop craft beers, local flavors bring Munich magic to southeastern Seoul

Garak Market in southeastern Seoul will host its third annual Garak Oktoberfest from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18. The three-day festival at Garak Mall’s third-floor Sky Park will pair independent craft beers with seafood, grilled meats and street food sourced from the market. A neighborhood parade, live music, lawn games, giveaways, expanded seating and a children’s play area are planned. Part of the proceeds will support Hasang Paul’s House soup kitchen.

The Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation is organizing the festival at Garak Mall’s Sky Park.

The event will offer freshly prepared seafood, local grilled meats and colorful street food alongside cold lagers.

The festival will include communal seating for larger groups and a dedicated play area for children.

A portion of festival proceeds will be donated to Hasang Paul’s House, a free soup kitchen inside Garak Market.

Published Oct 9, 2026 7:00 am KST

Visitors walk around the venue during the second Garak Oktoberfest at Garak Mall in Seoul, Oct. 24, 2025. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

For most of the year, Garak Market in southeastern Seoul is a whirlwind of wholesale frenzy, where trucks loaded with fresh produce, seafood and meat rattle past early-morning traders.

But come mid-October, the capital’s sprawling food hub drops its gritty commercial exterior, sets up a rooftop lawn and pops the top on a distinctly Bavarian tradition.

Starting Oct. 16, the Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation will host the third annual Garak Oktoberfest. Held on the third-floor Sky Park atop Garak Mall, the three-day festival will transform the massive market complex into an airy rooftop beer garden through Oct. 18.

While Munich relies on centuries-old brewing traditions, Garak puts a uniquely local spin on the autumn classic. Pairing independent craft brews with bites sourced straight from the market below, visitors can sip cold lagers alongside freshly prepared seafood, local grilled meats and colorful street food spreads.

The festival kicks off with a lively neighborhood parade leading up to the venue. Across the weekend, visitors can look forward to live music, lawn games and prize giveaways, with expanded communal seating for larger groups and a dedicated play area to keep kids entertained.

"As autumn nights set in, we hope families, couples, and friends come together at Garak Mall's Sky Park to make lasting memories over great food," a spokesperson for the Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation said. "We remain committed to turning Garak Mall into a lively neighborhood hot spot where residents can gather and relax whenever they like."

The event also keeps its roots tied to community goodwill: a portion of proceeds will be donated to Hasang Paul’s House, a free soup kitchen operating inside Garak Market.

For locals and travelers looking to soak up crisp autumn evenings before the winter chill sets in, the rooftop bash offers an easygoing blend of local flavor and cold beer — proving that even a bustling wholesale market knows how to host a proper rooftop party.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

位于首尔东南部的嘉乐市场将于10月16日至18日举办第三届嘉乐啤酒节。这场为期三天的节日将在嘉乐购物中心三楼的空中花园举行，届时将提供各种精酿啤酒，搭配市场采购的海鲜、烤肉和街头小吃。活动还包括社区游行、现场音乐表演、草坪游戏、赠品派发、扩建的座位区和儿童游乐区。部分收益将捐赠给Hasang Paul's House慈善厨房。

首尔农海产品公社将在嘉乐购物中心的空中花园举办此次节日活动。

活动将提供新鲜烹制的海鲜、当地烤肉和色彩缤纷的街头小吃，以及冰镇啤酒。

节日期间将设有供大型团体使用的公共座位和专门为儿童准备的游乐区。

音乐节的部分收益将捐赠给哈桑·保罗之家，这是加拉克市场内的一家免费施粥厨房。

发布于2026年10月9日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

2025年10月24日，在首尔嘉乐购物中心举行的第二届嘉乐啤酒节上，游客们在会场内漫步。图片由首尔市政府提供。

一年中的大部分时间里，首尔东南部的加乐市场都是批发交易的狂热之地，满载新鲜农产品、海鲜和肉类的卡车在清晨的商贩面前隆隆驶过。

但到了 10 月中旬，首都庞大的美食中心便会卸下其粗犷的商业外表，在屋顶上搭建起一片草坪，开启一段独特的巴伐利亚传统。

从10月16日起，首尔农海产品公社将举办第三届嘉乐啤酒节。为期三天的啤酒节将在嘉乐购物中心三楼的空中花园举行，一直持续到10月18日，届时这座大型市场综合体将变成一个通风的屋顶啤酒花园。

慕尼黑的酿酒传统源远流长，而加拉克啤酒厂则为这款秋季经典啤酒注入了独特的本地风味。这里供应独立精酿啤酒，并搭配直接从楼下市场采购的小吃，游客可以一边品尝冰镇拉格啤酒，一边享用新鲜烹制的海鲜、当地烤肉和琳琅满目的街头小吃。

节日以热闹的社区游行拉开帷幕，游行队伍将一路行至活动场地。整个周末，游客们可以欣赏现场音乐、参与草坪游戏和赢取奖品，现场还设有扩建的公共座位区，方便大型团体就座，以及专门的儿童游乐区，让孩子们尽情玩耍。

首尔农海产品公社发言人表示：“秋夜将至，我们希望家人、情侣和朋友们能齐聚嘉乐购物中心空中花园，在美食的陪伴下留下美好回忆。我们将继续致力于把嘉乐购物中心打造成为充满活力的社区热点，让居民们随时都能在此聚会放松。”

该活动也始终秉持着与社区善意紧密相连的理念：部分收益将捐赠给 Hasang Paul's House，这是一家位于 Garak 市场内的免费施粥厨房。

对于想要在寒冬来临之前享受清爽秋夜的当地人和游客来说，屋顶派对提供了一种轻松的当地风味和冰镇啤酒的融合——这证明即使是熙熙攘攘的批发市场也知道如何举办一场像样的屋顶派对。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。