DECEMBER 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 91
PRESS BUZZ
FESTIVAL
HELLO PANDA A GLOBAL CELEBRATION
BY ALEX MITCHELL
One of the brightest and long-running
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 month, sticking
around throughout January.
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 delivers distinct, immersive
experiences.
The never-before-seen exhibits will
be spread throughout the festival
grounds: Dream World, Holiday
Wonderland, Discovery Zone, Interactive
Music Zone, Sports World and
Community Interactive Zone.
Display highlights include the world’s
tallest Christmas tree lantern, lifesized
dinosaurs and safari animals,
a huge fairytale castle and a 98-footlong
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.”
The World’s 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.
The Hello Panda Festival features handmade lanterns celebrating the holidays.
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 No. 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 Vicious
Creole 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 Braca
NYC, Made From Scratch, NYC Mac
Truck, Peet’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 during the festival.
Meanwhile, some of those cultural
points that World’s Fare President
Joshua Schneps referenced will be
realized with 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 event in Vernon, New Jersey,
from Oct. 18 to Feb. 2, 2020, and at the
World Vacation in Catskill, 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 hellopandafest.
com or follow @hellopandafest
on Instagram and Twitter and
Facebook.
Editor’s note: The World’s Fare is
run by Schneps Events, a division of
Schneps Media, the parent company
of the Long Island Press.
“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.
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