Revel in amazing lights, global food and colorful art during
the Hello Panda Festival at Citi Field this December
NOVEMBER 2 0 1 9 I BOROMAG.COM 51
Photo credit: Hello Panda
EXPLORE YOUR BORO
Head to Citi Field this winter, where
bright lanterns, international cuisine
and cultural arts will collide.
From Dec. 6 to Jan. 26, 2020,
the Flushing stadium plays host to
the first-ever Hello Panda Festival,
produced by CPAA North America.
Spanning 750,000 square feet, the landmark
event will feature over 120 handcrafted lanterns,
global food vendors curated by The
World’s Fare and arts experiences including
live performances, modern art exhibits, a holiday
market and traditional crafts.
“Hello Panda’s mission is to not only give
New Yorkers and visitors something they’ve
never seen before but also deliver an experience
they can’t find anywhere else,” said
Winston Wang, general manager of CPAA
North America. “Our festival will offer a variety
of immersive and social media moments
that introduce guests to the artistry of lanternmaking
while bringing different communities
together through food and culture.”
The festival’s lantern display is sure to delight
with over 300,000 LED lights and several
interactive elements. Some of the world’s
leading lantern artisans will handcraft and
paint over 120 displays to reflect the tradition,
innovation and creativity of the Chinese art.
Attendees can explore six different lantern
theme parks which deliver distinct, immersive
experiences. The never-before-seen exhibits
will be spread throughout the parks: Dream
World, Holiday Wonderland, Discovery Zone,
Interactive Music Zoe, Sports World and Community
Interactive Zone. Display highlights
include the world’s tallest Christmas tree lantern,
life-sized dinosaurs and safari animals, a
huge fairytale castle and a 98-foot-long light
tunnel.
Food will also be one of the main attractions
at this year’s Hello Panda festival through a
partnership with The World’s Fare. Organizers
of the largest and most diverse food and drink
event in New York City will lend their tastemakers
to curate vendors in the tented and heated
food pavilion. Foodies can choose dishes
from 60 diverse vendors offering a wide selection
of global cuisines.
“The World’s Fare is honored to partner
with Hello Panda to celebrate culture in the
most diverse city in the world,” said Joshua
Schneps, CEO of The World’s Fare. “There was
a natural synergy between the mission of the
festival and our organization and we couldn’t
be more excited to take this journey together.”
Hello Panda will feature both traditional
and modern cultural arts through live performances,
galleries and a holiday market across
six giant heated tent areas. The festival will
showcase nightly music from local and international
acts from different genres including
dance, Latin, pop and hip-hop.
Visitors can also view a collection of galleries
featuring works of emerging global artist and
even get in on the fun with DIY experiences
like papercutting, sugar painting, embroidery,
cotton candy art led by artist instructors.
“Citi Field is a place where people from
all walks of life come together and share an
amazing experience,” said Heather Collamore,
vice president of Metropolitan Hospitality
at Citi Field. “The Hello Panda Festival is a
unique event that promotes cultural exchange
while delighting the child in all of us.”
Hello Panda is open seven days a week from
5 to 10 p.m., Dec. 6 to Jan. 26, 2020. CPAA
also plans to produce the even in Vernon,
New Jersey, from Oct. 18 to Feb. 2, 2020, and
at the World Vacation Hotel from Oct. 25 to
March 22, 2020.
Tickets will go on sale beginning Thursday,
Sept. 12. Ticket prices range from $22 to $28
minus tax and service fees. For more information,
visit www.hellopandafest.com or follow
@hellopandafest on Instagram and Twitter
and Facebook.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
@JENNA_BAGCAL
Photos courtesy of Festival Media
/www.hellopandafest.com
/BOROMAG.COM
/www.hellopandafest.com
