PHOTO VIA PANDA FEST
Panda Fest (Website) made its Florida debut last month, and was totally sold out all three days at Festival Park, drawing an estimated 30,000 attendees from February 27 through March 1 for what organizers are calling their biggest year yet.
The weekend featured more than 80 food vendors and food trucks serving over 200 dishes spanning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and other Asian cuisines, alongside a curated marketplace of over 20 vendors selling things like clothing and gifts, and lots of panda things. Entertainment included lion dances, K-pop performances, Kung Fu and sumo demonstrations, Taiko drumming, and a Silent Disco.
“We thank you, Orlando, for the huge Panda Fest welcome,” said founder Biubiu Xu. “Since we started Panda Fest, we’ve been hearing from so many of our fans that we need to come to Florida and that Orlando would be the perfect home, and they were right. We will definitely be back.”
Xu launched Panda Fest in 2024 as a one-day pop-up in New York City. It has since expanded to 12 cities across the country, including Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, and Seattle.
Orlando Shine sent local photographer Dallas Ward of Wo.Visuals (Instagram | Website) to capture the weekend. Check out his video below.
