"Kimchi... is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is often described as spicy and sour. In traditional preparation kimchi is often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made from napa cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber as a main ingredient"
It can be very spicy, it can be mildly spicy. It's not a typical spice, though. It's mainly based on cabbage, so if you imagine sauerkraut, but different, you're going in the right direction.

(of course, kimchi has almost certainly been around much much longer)
It's an acquired taste. I like it now (been married into a Korean family for 13 years now) but I didn't always! It's terrific for helping the immune system when you're feeling low...just like sauerkraut, actually. Full of nutrients.
Not sure that I would choose a festival to have my first taste of kimchi. Then again, when *better* to try it, when you can quickly grab something else that you know you'll like, unlike if you're at a Korean restaurant.
I went through easywdw's ratings the other day. There's not a *lot* that I can eat as a vegetarian OR am interested in eating, but then, my appetite isn't big anyway. I'm looking forward to what am AM interested in, though! Woo! I'm going with a buddy for the Wine&Dine Half, so I'll be there at the end of the whole thing...still excited.