Crowds of hundreds of Nashville, Tennessee, residents and Vanderbilt students gathered at Fair Park to attend Panda Fest, an immersive panda-themed experience celebrating Asian food and culture. The festival was started by Biubiu Xu — the creator of Dragon Fest — in 2024, with a mission to bring cities together by providing an immersive experience that blends Asian food, art, culture and music. The festival is featured in over 10 other major cities and paid Nashville a visit from Oct. 24-26.
The festival featured more than 80 Asian food vendors, 250 Asian street food items and 20 merchandise vendors. General admission tickets started at $14, with VIP tickets being $35. The general admission tickets came with two free gifts, including one customized panda pin with a panda holding a chicken and a panda-themed headband. The VIP ticket included all of the same benefits, with the addition of exclusive VIP sitting areas, VIP bathrooms and a fast pass for the entrance.
Upon arrival, the line for the entrance wrapped around Fair Park. Despite its immense length, the line only took five minutes. The festival was set up in a fair style with booths and vendors lined up along the park. There were a wide variety of vendors serving dishes and treats from countries like Mongolia, China, South Korea, Japan and more. From potstickers to soufflé pancakes, there was always an Asian delicacy to indulge in.
Past the seemingly endless line of food vendors, there was a stage set up for the rotating performers throughout the night. In front of the stage were benches filled with eager faces waiting to watch the next performer come out and wow the crowd. Dance crews brought the energy up by doing razor-sharp choreography to chart-topping K-pop songs, including “Not Shy” by ITZY, “Deja Vu” by TXT and “Jump” by BLACKPINK.
Later, a student dance group from Belmont University came out to do the choreography from the hit animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” a nod to the growing Korean pop culture influence across social media. Whether it was a diehard K-pop fan who could sing every lyric or someone agnostic to the monolith of a genre, the show made sure everyone was entertained.
There were lines all night for food vendors to take pictures with the giant inflatable panda. A professional photographer stood ready to take your picture with the main inflatable panda, but you could opt for something a little more casual: there was another panda character toward the exit with whom you could take photos.
It was easy to be overwhelmed with the abundance of options for food, and we were. We wandered around the lines of vendors, racking up our step counts, eyes getting full before we had the pleasure of taking a first bite. I made my first decision to stop at a drink stand and get Strawberry Fizz Pop. It was a cream soda with strawberry syrup and real strawberries in the drink. It was a great first stop, and I sipped as I made my way over to find something for my friends to eat.
With the plethora of options, we were drawn to the hibachi, kimbap and Mongolian skewers, but what eventually caught my eye were the potstickers. The savory and juicy combination of the vegetables and chicken wasdelectable and a nice reminder of food I’d had before. The plate was a hit, and I immediately went back for seconds. Friends who tried it were equally compelled, confirming its status as a must-try. I also had lychee fruit tea, and while all the food was good, the prices were expensive. Every dish cost between $8 and $10, and with there being so much to try, it could get pricey.
We immediately spotted tanghulu as we entered the festival and vowed to make our way back to the dessert. When that time came, I practically ran to the line and bought a stick with all the strawberries. We got the optionwith strawberries and grapes, and we cheered as we took the first bite. The contrast between the sticky hard sugar and the surprisingly fresh, juicy strawberry made the treat addicting to eat as the finale to our food quest.
Panda Fest was a welcome addition to Nashville’s growing lineup of cultural events, bringing cultural energy to Music City. The festival fostered a sense of inclusivity and community by uplifting Asian culture, which resonated with longtime fans and curious newcomers. By hosting the festival, Nashville positioned itself as a city keen on representing diverse artistic expressions and bridging cultures through food and performance.
