DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 I BOROMAG.COM 51
Photos by Yelena Dzhanova/BORO
Photos courtesy of Festival Media Group
EXPLORE YOUR BORO
Head to Citi Field this winter, where
bright lanterns, international cuisine
and cultural arts collide.
From now until Jan. 26, 2020, the Flushing
stadium is playing host to the firstever
Hello Panda Festival, produced by
CPAA North America. Spanning 750,000
square feet, the landmark event features
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 lantern-making
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 handcrafted
and painted 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 is 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 are
lending 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 features both traditional
and modern cultural arts through live
performances, galleries and a holiday
market across six giant heated tent areas.
The festival showcases 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.
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.
Hello
Panda
Festival
comes
to Citi
Field
BY JENNA BAGCAL
@JENNA_BAGCAL
/www.hellopandafest.com
/BOROMAG.COM
/www.hellopandafest.com
