Visited May 15
Panda Fest has returned to Boston for the second time! This year, the event is at a new location: Ohiri Field on Harvard’s campus.
Last year, the fest was at Boston’s City Hall Plaza. Being the first time a Panda Fest event was in Boston, tickets sold out incredibly quickly.
After seeing it advertised last year as a fun festival celebrating Asian culture with cute food and merch, I really wanted to go. Unfortunately, I missed out on a ticket last time, so you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that it was making a return this year!
According to their website, Panda Fest is one of the largest outdoor Asian food festivals in the US. The fest is hosted in eleven cities throughout the country, including Boston.
This year, Panda Fest is taking place Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17, selling tickets in 3 hour blocks.
I was able to score general admission tickets for the opening night, Friday May 15, for the 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot. I paid $36 for two tickets including taxes and fees.
There are a few ways you can get to Panda Fest. You can either take the MBTA’s Red Line to the Harvard Stop and then take a bus stopping at N Harvard St @ Gate 2 Harvard Stadium (bus numbers vary) or you can drive and park.
Since it was a chilly, drizzly day, my husband and I chose to drive. I was worried about the parking situation upon arrival, but there were plenty of spots open at the Ohiri Field lot. Parking is $20.
Once arriving to Panda Fest, we noticed a serious lack of signage pointing to the front entrance from the parking lot. We were alongside two or three other groups trying to enter and we were all lost. After heading the wrong way twice, we saw a security guard sending people to the entrance.
If you visit, take a right out of the parking lot and start heading that way.
We got there roughly 10 minutes after our 4 p.m. time slot, so I expected the line to be long. It certainly was, but the security and ticketing teams were great and moved everyone along very quickly. We only waited about 5 minutes.
For a quick experience going through security/ticketing, keep in mind that outside food and drink is not allowed. Also, have your bag open and ready for a search. I also recommend saving your tickets to your digital wallet to avoid technical slowdowns because most digital wallets work offline.
Once through security, an employee scanned our tickets, welcomed us and gave us a very cute pin that is included in the admission price.
Also included with the GA ticket is a Panda Fest headband. There are yellow signs marking the Headband Station a short distance from the main entrance. You grab your headband from a basket and then you blow it up using mini balloon pumps. The headbands are self sealing so once they are blown up you just pull the pump out and squeeze the opening down.
Adorable headbands secured, we began to browse the food vendors and, oh boy, were the choices abundant!
They have tons of different food options from savory to sweet! Booths include fried squid, dumplings, bao buns, fried rice, rolled icecream, bubble tea, shaved milk ice (Bingsoo), K-dogs, twisted potatoes and much more!
Let me take you through our food journey for the evening! We split each dish we got so we could taste around the booths.
First up, we grabbed some delectable pan fried dumplings. We chose two pork and two chicken and added a splash of soy sauce. The dumpling was crispy and the filling was soft and savory. We both really liked these! This dish cost $10.
We enjoyed them in a seating area with plenty of tables and chairs under a tent. I think the festival did a great job with providing seating and tables. There seemed to be plenty in the food area of the festival and the vendor/stage area.
I also noticed an abundance of bathrooms. In the background of the photo below, you can see a line of porta-potties and a trailer with bathrooms in it. There are three porta-potty areas in each corner of the festival, so you are always close to one. Each area also has a handicap accessible porta-potty, too!
Next on the food journey was a Hawaiian Honey Cone! The vendor described it to us as vanilla soft serve ice cream inside a cereal like shell that tastes like Captain Crunch. He nailed the description! While it was a little too sweet for my taste, my husband really enjoyed it. This treat cost $15.
I was in the mood for some savory food after the sweetness of the Honey Cone, so we grabbed a Sesame Beef Noodle Bowl. From what I could see on top it includes noodles, kimchi, green onions, and beef.
I really enjoyed this dish. The noodles are salty with a little kick to them from the kimchi. It was pretty chilly the day we visited (about 55 degrees and rainy), so these were like a warm hug. This bowl cost $19.60.
I saw these little mochi donuts with pandas on them and I couldn’t resist grabbing one. I chose the Strawberry Milk flavor.
These donuts are the perfect level of sweetness for my taste. The light sweetness mixed with the buttery dough equals true perfection. 👌
Unfortunately, the panda marshmallow on top was super tough making it unpleasant to eat. I tossed it, but the donut honestly didn’t even need it, other than to make it adorable which drew me over in the first place! I paid $8.56 for the donut.
My husband grabbed a K-Dog while I was getting my mochi donut. I didn’t get a picture, but he chose a full mozzarella dog. It’s a breaded and fried block of mozarella on a stick. It’s pretty good, but ours was cold on the inside, so we didn’t get the famous cheese pull K-Dogs are known for. It was $13.06.
At this point in our journey we were thirsty. My husband saw someone drinking out of a bottle that looked like a shoot of bamboo and he decided he wanted whatever it was. The woman drinking it was super nice and showed us the booth so we could get it!
The booth sells different types of watermelon juices. We chose a watermelon lemon drink. We both really liked it! The juices taste freshly squeezed as opposed to artificially flavored.
They gave us a straw with a pointy end so we could poke it into the top of the bamboo shoot bottle instead of having to screw off the top to drink it. The bottle itself is narrow, so between the two of us we finished it quickly. The drink cost $16.05.
We took a brief break from our food journey to walk to the other side of the field that has a stage for performances and vendor tents.
There are high top tables to stand at and some tables and chairs under tents near the merchandise vendors area. While we were there, a Dragon Dance was just leaving, circling the festival. I wish I caught a photo, but they were moving swiftly.
The dragon costume was white and dancing to a drum beat played by drummers behind it. Dragon Dance is one of my favorite cultural performances because I love the intricate designs on the dragon costume.
After the performers left, we checked out the merchandise booths. I was expecting a lot more booths, but the ones there were selling some cool stuff!
There are booths selling crochet pieces, handmade stickers/magnets, samurai hats, kimonos, treats and jewelry. They also have face painting and henna tattoos!
A unique vendor there is True Honey Teas. They sell tea bags with honey granules in them. That way, as your tea brews the honey melts and makes the tea sweet. I think that concept is so cool!
The employee at the booth was very nice and invited everyone to come over and try each flavor of tea they were selling from carafes on his table. I tried the Lavender Lemonade flavor and my husband tried the Apple Cinnamon. I love the Lavender Lemonade flavor. It’s warm and sweet, but also light and refreshing! My husband said the Apple Cinnamon was good, too.
The stall got a little busy, so we shuffled out before checking the price, but I found the company online. They sell the packs of tea at $21.99 per 24 bags. I think I may buy some of that Lavender Lemonade flavor!
From the vendor area, I got a beautiful crochet piece. It’s a hanging planter pot of flowers. The vendor said her boss and their family make them. I hung the piece on my car rearview mirror. It was $27.38.
We sauntered back to the food booths to see if there was anything else we wanted to try. The cold was starting to get to me, so we planned to wrap up pretty soon. Before we did though, my husband got Tanghulu grapes and I (despite being very cold) got a milk based shaved ice called Bingsoo in strawberry flavor.
My husband says the Tanghulu candy itself tastes like plain sugar with a crunch and it was a little tough to get the grapes off the stick. He says overall they are good! He paid $12.75
The Bingsoo is very good when mixed with the strawberry syrup because it’s sweet and fruity, but on its own it tastes like watery milk. My husband said this treat isn’t his favorite either as it is too “milky.” I’m laughing as I ask him to describe the foods. He’s a man of few adjectives!
I was expecting it to be a bit more creamy. The girls working the booth were so nice. As they made the treat, they explained that the shaved ice is made from a canister of milk at the top of the machine.
Although it wasn’t my favorite treat, the presentation is so cute! I paid $16.05.
Before we left, we were curious about the twisted potatoes. They’re sold at most fairs and are fried potatoes cut into a spiral on a stick. I included a photo of one below. Shout out to Nikole Butvilate on Unsplash because I failed to take a photo of the one I got at Panda Fest. 🤦♀️ I chose the Truffle Parm flavor for an extra $3. In total it was $16.50.
After we ordered, we were handed a number and the employee told us the wait would be 30 minutes! If you want to try these, the booth is close the entrance, so order them when you first arrive.
With 30 minutes to spend, we walked towards the stage as we heard some loud music emanating from there.
There was an energetic group of performers putting on a J-Pop concert! They were lip syncing and dancing to various artist’s songs. The music was so lively and fun!
There is plenty of seating up front near the stage. However, the music is very loud that close. We stood further back where the noise was more comfortable. There are picnic tables and also tables and chairs under a tent in this area.
After the concert, we headed back to the twisted potato booth, but they were still about 50 numbers shy of ours. Others waiting for their orders around us were upset about the wait time as it was the highest we’d heard all evening.
We wandered the food booths a little more and checked out the Panda Fest merch tents in the food area.
I fell in love with a little stuffed panda, so my husband got it for me. 🥰 It has paracord and a carabiner attached so I can hang it from my bag! He paid $15.94.
We went back to the potato booth about ten minutes later only to find out our number had already been called. The employee was very nice and made us another one right away as he had given ours away to another person waiting for a Truffle Parm order (rightfully so!).
I got to watch the employee make it and noticed the parm is just the shelf stable bottled cheese from the pasta aisle at the store. For the $16.05 price, I expected it to be fresh parm. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of the dish overall. I thought it was bland, but also had a strange tang to it. I took a couple of bites and gave the rest to my husband who “thought it was really good.”
Finally, we stopped at a hotdog booth on the way out because my hands were so cold and needed warming up! We got a Philly Hot Dog for $12. The actual hot dog was so good. It tasted like 100% beef and was rich and flavorful. The bun was warm, soft and buttery, too. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! I didn’t like the pepper, onion and cheese topping though. There was a peppery seasoning on it that I didn’t care for.
With full tummies, and very cute merch in tow, we made the walk back to the car, which was about 5 mins. We walked roughly 2 miles in the 2.5 hours we spent there!
Overall, we had a blast at Panda Fest. We enjoyed learning and experiencing some aspects of Asian culture in a relaxing and fun environment!
Sensory and Accessibility Aspects
Noise 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For the most part, the noise level is great! I’m surprised that the food booth area isn’t very loud like many other festivals.
Obviously, the closer you get to the stage, the louder it is, but you can hear very clearly from far back, so no need to stand close! The noise level is louder near the merchandise vendors since they are near the stage.
I would recommend bringing ear protection if you are noise sensitive.
Crowds 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 is pretty good for a festival! I was anxious on the way there thinking the crowds would be crazy and overwhelming. I’m not sure if it’s because it was a drizzly, cold evening, so less people came out, but it didn’t feel overly crowded. There were certainly a lot of people, but I never felt like my space was invaded.
I noticed some of the booths sold the same things and recall seeing on the Panda Fest website that there would be multiple booths selling the same items to help with crowding. In my opinion, this certainly seemed to help disperse the crowd evenly!
Smells 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sometimes, the smell of the booths cooking could be overwhelming. There were times when our breath would be steamy/smoky near booths and I noticed I smelt like smoke when I got home.
Thankfully, you can move pretty quickly through the areas with a lot of cooking steam/smoke, but it could be strong and overwhelming if you stood there for a long time in line or while waiting for your order.
Lighting ?
This one is kind of up to Mother Nature since you’re outside! 😉 There are lights in most vendor booths and on the stage. I would also assume they turn on overhead stadium lighting at night, so you can see if you chose a 7 p.m to 10 p.m. time slot.
Temperature ?
Mother Nature, it’s on you, my friend! She was not feeling herself when we went because it was super cold and drizzly! 😖
Spots for Decompressing 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are a fair amount of spots to take a breather, especially for a festival. There are two tented areas with tables and chairs you can sit at that weren’t crowded in either the food or merch/stage side of the field.
Given the festival environment, it may be loud where you are decompressing depending on if there is a performance on or not, so keep that in mind!
Accessibility 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are three handicap accessible porta-potties available on the festival grounds and wires on the ground are covered with small inclines that have the wheelchair symbol on them, meaning they are safe for mobility devices to roll over. You can see them in my photos of the festival above.
We saw a few folks on scooters and in wheelchairs. The ground itself is not paved like the City Hall Plaza last year, so it could be bumpy on the grass for folks on scooters.
Due to some areas of “bottlenecking” where crowds are waiting in line, it could be tough to get by, but asking people to move would likely work just fine!
Safety 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wasn’t sure where to put this note, so I made it’s own category! I am very impressed with the medical services on site. There is a tent with EMTs and medical equipment set up all night and there are roughly 4 or 5 ambulances parked out front of the event with EMTs manning them.
The security at the festival is great, too! We moved quickly through the line at the front of the venue as the security team was large and efficient. They stayed there all night, too so if anything happened they were right there to step in!
The festival/venue’s commitment to safety should be recognized!
Rest Room Rundown 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The porta-potties are clean and well stocked with TP and hand sanitzer. There are also handicap accessible porta-potties.
There is also a trailer with restrooms available for use. I didn’t go in to this one, but based on past experiences, I believe they have running water.
General Review-y Aspects
Pricing 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
In my opinion, the food prices are very steep for the portions you get and many booths up-charge for using a debit/credit card. They also present a tip screen after each transaction, and I noticed many were auto selected to take 15%.
However, I feel the merchandise and tickets are fairly priced.
We spent $238.44 for two of us for the evening.
Atmosphere 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone was very joyful and happy to be there. The music and performances add to the fun of the event and the food is great!
Also, the panda decor and characters are so cute!
Customer Service 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Every employee we spoke to was great! I heard many employees answering guest questions as well and they were patient and kind. We felt welcomed from the moment we came in to the moment we left.
Location/Parking 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The field provides plenty of space for the festival, but it was very wet due to the rain. Our shoes were muddy and grassy after the event. I think on a paved surface, this wouldn’t have been an issue, so if it’s raining when you go, wear rain boots!
When we arrived there was plenty of parking spots left. However, I could see the lot filling up quickly. I also think $20 per car is a little high considering you’re only there for 3 hours or so, but then again that’s Boston parking for you!
TLDR Ratings
Overall Rating 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sensory Rating 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Accessibility Rating 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highlight ✨
The tasty food 🤤
Lowlight 😖
The pricing
Recommendations for Visiting
- Arrive soon after your ticket window starts.
- Bring a small bag and have it open and ready for security.
- Do not bring outside food or drink.
- Bring ear protection if you are sensitive to loud noise and plan to watch one of the concerts or shop a the vendors.
- Wear rain boots or shoes you don’t mind getting dirty if there’s inclement weather.
- If you want to try the twisted potatoes, go there right when you get in!
- If you aren’t sure about what is in a dish or what it might taste like, don’t be afraid to ask the employees! 😊
- My husband requested I tell you all to come hungry and skip lunch 🤣
Hey, I’m going to Panda Fest in Boston! Want to come?
I think I’ll pass this time around.
For me, the price of the food would discourage me from returning since the majority of the experience is spent tasting around the booths.
However, if you’ve never gone to Panda Fest, I recommend checking it out at least once! Immersing yourself in the Asian culture through this festival is absolutely worth a stop by.
If you want to check out Panda Festival, it is still in Boston at the time of this post going up! It will be there until Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. You can buy tickets through their website: https://www.pandafests.com/events-1/project-one-ephnc-fphyr-ark8l-wfdxg-g558l-tjkap-ap5a4-kcacj
Did you go to Panda Fest either this or last year? If so, tell me what you thought of the experience in the comments! 🐼
Catch ya in the next review! 😎
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