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Hello, Downtown!
Organizers of the new Panda Fest are banking on the public’s adoration of those cute, bamboo nibbling black-and-white bears. At first, I was wary of endangered-Chinese-animal appropriation by a food-and-culture festival celebrating all things Asian. Then I looked at the festival lineup. They had me at K-pop performances.
Panda Fest is sweeping the nation and coming to San Diego’s Waterfront Park April 25 and 26. Attendees will be able to sample more than 200 Asian dishes from 80-plus food vendors representing China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and many more Asian and Pacific Island nations.
Also on hand: dozens of vendors selling clothes and tchotchkes. Yes, you can buy keychains, a set of pins, tote bags, plush toy sets or colorful headbands all featuring pandas.
Like me, you may get swept in by cultural programming. There’ll be Chinese Lion Dancers, Japanese kendo (sword) and Samurai displays. And…K-pop dance crews.
If you’re not living in a van down by the river, you’ve likely had some exposure to Korean pop music. At the 2026 Academy Awards, The movie “KPop Demon Hunters” won Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Golden”). More than 500 million people have streamed the movie on Netflix.
If you want a K-pop experience seven days a week in downtown San Diego, visit Zzan at Fifth Avenue and C Street. It serves up bibimpap, kimchi stew and video screens filled with K-pop bands (mostly dancing girl groups often totaling nine or more members).
Panda Fest is kicking off in the right zeitgeist. Half a million attendees went to events in 11 cities last year. To get more information about San Diego’s premiere event, go to: Panda Fest Tickets.
Ron Donoho
Downtown News newsletter host
Downtown story spotlight
‘No Kings’ rallies return to San Diego County, with 40,000 marchers on downtown streets
By Thomas Murphy • Times of San Diego
“No Kings” rallies took place in all parts of the county, from downtown to the suburbs, including Chula Vista and El Cajon, where smaller crowds packed community streets.
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