By Alex Mitchell
alex.mitchell@amny.com
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
Caribbean L 32 ife, DECEMBER 6-12, 2019
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 pm,
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 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.
Hello Panda Festival waves
to Citi Field this weekend
noon
/www.hellopandafest.com
/www.hellopandafest.com
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