Philly’s first introduction to Panda Fest featured two days of sold-out foodie fun in April—but that wasn’t the last iteration of this popular event in 2025.
Organizer Xuan (BiuBiu) Xu is bringing the food and culture fest back to the City of Brotherly Love this October (Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5), and this next installment will be “even bigger and better,” adding more vendors, additional capacity and more space while housed in Dilworth Park.
Known as one of the biggest Asian food festivals in the country, this activation is part of Dragon Fest, which was created in 2021. Since its inception, the New York-based organization has conceived 20+ events for more than 500,000 attendees. Panda Fest specifically was created in July of 2024 to invite guests of all ages to celebrate Asian food, art, and culture, as well as the panda and the rich heritage that the beloved mammal represents.
In the spring, Panda Fest hosted events in five major cities — Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, and Minnesota — with more than 250,000 people combined attending the pop-ups. Due to the popularity for the event in Philadelphia and Atlanta, Xu decided to bring the event back for fall iterations in those two cities, a release notes.
“Philadelphia welcomed us with open arms this past spring, and we couldn’t be more excited to return for a fall Panda Fest in this incredible city,” Xu explained.
“We received a lot of feedback from a ton of people, and we’re looking to improve upon everything this time around, and we’re going to have more vendors and more food and drink options for the whole family. We have been working side by side with the City of Philadelphia to ensure we have additional capacity during this event, and we’re looking forward for another incredible weekend in The City of Brotherly Love.”
A giant 15-foot inflatable panda will greet guests upon entry, and locals can then peruse through cuisines from throughout Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and more. There will also be Asian cultural performances, family activities, games, raffles, merchandise, and other themed fun for the occasion.
Philadelphia’s Panda Fest will feature more than 60 Asian food vendors and 100 different types of street food (including some panda-themed bites). The first 100 tickets for each time slot (1,100 total) cost $10 for early bird pricing, and all additional GA tickets will be $14.
VIP tickets cost $25 apiece, and with this option, all attendees will receive two free gifts: one customized panda pin with a Philly feature, and an inflatable headband. VIP ticket holders will receive all GA benefits plus an additional gift (a customized panda bag), and a skip-the-line ‘fast pass’ for entrance. The family-friendly event welcomes all children under the age of 5 for free without a ticket. Strollers are allowed, as are pets on leash. All tickets must be purchased online.
To find out more information on the fall version of Philly’s Panda Fest, visit dragonfests.com
