Hello Panda delights with lights, food, art
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Head to Citi Field this winter,
where bright lanterns, international
cuisine and cultural
arts will collide.
From Dec. 6 to Jan. 26, the Flushing
stadium plays host to the fi rst-ever Hello
Panda Festival, produced by CPAA
North America. Spanning 750,000
square feet, the landmark event will
feature more than 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 not only to
give New Yorkers and visitors something
they’ve never seen before but also
deliver an experience they can’t fi nd
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 more than 300,000
LED lights and several interactive elements.
Some of the world’s leading lantern
artisans will handcraft and paint in excess
of 120 displays to refl ect the tradition,
innovation and creativity of the
Chinese art.
Attendees can explore six different
lantern theme parks that will deliver
distinct, immersive experiences.
The never-before-seen exhibits will be
spread throughout the parks: 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,
life-sized dinosaurs and safari animals,
a huge fairytale castle and a 98-footlong
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 in a wide selection of
global cuisines.
“The World’s Fare is honored to
It’s going to be Panda-monium when Hello Panda comes to Citi Field this winter.
partner with Hello Panda to celebrate
culture in the most diverse city in the
world,” said Joshua Schneps, C.E.O. of
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 artists and even get in on the fun
with DIY experiences, like papercutting,
sugar painting, embroidery and
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 World’s Fare, led by Joshua Schneps, the C.E.O. and co-publisher
of Schneps Media, above, is partnering with Hello Panda 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 will be open seven days
a week from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Dec. 6
to Jan. 26, 2020.
CPAA also plans to produce the
event in Vernon, N.J., from Oct. 18 to
Feb. 2, 2020, and at the World Vacation
Hotel, in Catskill, N.Y., from Oct.
COURTESY HELLO PANDA
COURTESY HELLO PANDA
25 to March 22, 2020.
Tickets will go on sale beginning
Thurs., 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.
Schneps Media TVG September 12, 2019 23
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