Hello Panda Festival waves
to Citi Field this weekend
BY ALEX MITCHELL
One of the brightest and ongoing
festivals in the city will
keep you warm at Citi Field
this winter.
The city’s inaugural Hello
Panda Festival touches down
in the World’s Borough this
weekend, sticking around
throughout January of next
year.More than 120 massively
illuminated and handcrafted
lanterns will be on display,
and guests will get to enjoy
great food provided by 30 magnificent
vendors at the festival
organized by CPAA North
America and The World’s
Fare.
The displays feature more
than 300,000 brightly-colored
LED lights and several interactive
elements. Visitors can
explore six different lantern
theme parks, each of which
deliver distinct, immersive
experiences.
The never-before-seen exhibits
will be spread throughout
the festival grounds:
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.
“Hello Panda’s mission
is to bring the epic scope
and scale of China’s best and
brightest lantern festivals to
North America,” said Winston
Wang, General Manager
of CPAA North America. “We
want to transport visitors into
a magical world filled with
sights and sounds they’ve never
experienced or even imagined,”
he continued.
The World Fare, which has
delighted tens of thousands
of visitors to Citi Field the
past two springs, is not just
providing great food vendors,
but also live performances,
modern art exhibits, a holiday
market and traditional crafts
across six giant heated tent
areas.
This is the first time that
Hello Panda will be coming
to New York City, a feat
that brings pride to the
organizers.
“We are thrilled to be a part
of The Hello Panda Festival,
which is #1 winter destination
in Queens and throughout
New York City,” said Elizabeth
Aloni, President of The
World’s Fare. The World’s
Fare has a fantastic lineup
of the best international food
vendors from bao to baked
goods plus a full bar serving
seasonal cocktails, beer and
wine.
So of course, the most delicious
parts of Hello Panda
will be handled by many of
the city’s well known food
vendors: Bolivian Llama Party,
Brooklyn Dumpling, C-Bao
Ca’Pisci, Cambodia Now, Chef
Jimmy Creole Vicious Cycle,
Chori & Chimi, Dilena’s Dolcini,
Don Ceviche, Dough Donuts,
Down East Lobstah, Empanada
Papa, Four The Hard
Way Jianbing Company, and
Joey Bats Café.
Also, Knot Of This World,
La Braza NYC, Made From
Scratch, NYC Mac Truck,
Pete’s Hot Cider & Tea, Pickle
Me Pete, Shaking Crab, Snow
Show Flushing, Spoonable
Spirits, T-Swirl Crepes, The
Wasted Baker, ToastieLand,
What’s The Dillaz, Wings Lovers,
and Zonarica Churros
will be cooking up during the
festival.
Meanwhile, some of those
cultural points that the
World’s Fare President Joshua
Schneps referenced will done
by the way of nightly music
from local and international
acts from different genres including
dance, Latin, pop and
hip-hop along with festive artwork.
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, according
to the organizers.
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.
TIMESLEDGER,6 DEC. 6-12, 2019 QNS.COM
/www.hellopandafest
/www.hellopandafest
/QNS.COM
