Panda Fest Brings More Than 80 Asian Food Vendors to Savannah for Its First Coastal Empire Weekend at Tanger Outlets in October
POOLER, GA — Panda Fest is headed to the Savannah area for the first time, turning Tanger Outlets Savannah into a three-day celebration of Asian food and culture from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18, 2026. The festival will be staged at 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd. in Pooler.
Organizers say the event is one of the largest outdoor Asian food and culture festivals in the United States. The Savannah stop will feature more than 80 Asian food vendors, more than 20 merchandise vendors, live entertainment and interactive activities designed for families and casual festivalgoers alike.
The debut adds Savannah to a growing touring calendar for the festival, which uses panda imagery and themed attractions to create a playful, all-ages atmosphere.
What visitors can expect from the three-day festival
Panda Fest is built as an immersive showcase of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures, blending food, art, performance and shopping across the weekend. Guests will be able to try more than 200 street-food selections, moving from traditional favorites to newer and more contemporary dishes.
Along with the food lineup, the festival will include cultural performances, interactive programming and family activities throughout the grounds. One of the featured attractions is the Panda Bounce House, which adds to the event’s panda-heavy branding and gives children another way to take part in the festival.
The experience is meant to feel lively and outdoorsy, with a mix of eating, browsing and watching performances rather than a single-stage event. Festival organizers say the idea is to make Asian culture accessible in a fun setting while still keeping the focus on food and community.
National vendors, local applicants and standout food names
The Savannah lineup will mix familiar local vendors with national brands traveling into Georgia for the weekend. Among the vendors already named are New York-based Chan Bai Mei, which is known for candied hawthorn, or tanghulu, along with King Squids, Mumu Sweets and Dumpling King.
King Squids is set to serve its secret-recipe king squid, while Mumu Sweets will bring mochi donuts to the festival grounds. Additional vendors are expected to be announced closer to the event, and local companies are invited to apply for space at the Savannah edition.
That vendor mix is part of how Panda Fest has grown in other cities: it brings recognizable food businesses into a new market while also leaving room for regional participants and small businesses that want a share of the crowd.
Xuan 'BiuBiu' Xu says the festival aims to make Asian culture welcoming
Founder Xuan “BiuBiu” Xu said Savannah was an appealing stop because of the city’s welcoming atmosphere. Xu said the goal is to create a place where people can come together, discover good food and experience Asian culture in a way that feels approachable.
He framed the festival as something visitors may not find elsewhere, emphasizing that the event is meant to be both entertaining and distinctive. The combination of food, performances and hands-on activities is intended to create a broad cultural experience rather than a narrow specialty market.
The Coastal Empire debut also extends Panda Fest’s pitch beyond a single-city audience. By traveling from market to market, the festival presents itself as a national showcase with a local entry point in each city it visits.
How Panda Fest has expanded since launching in 2024
Launched in 2024, Panda Fest has grown quickly from a one-day event into a multi-day touring festival. It has already appeared in cities including Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville, San Diego, Houston, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Orlando.
Organizers say the festival has welcomed hundreds of thousands of attendees as it expanded nationally. That growth has helped turn the panda mascot and themed elements into a recognizable part of the event’s identity.
Pandas show up throughout the experience in inflatables, games, merchandise, activities and food offerings. That visual thread gives the festival a consistent look across cities even as the vendor list and local programming change from stop to stop.
Tickets, prices and daily hours for Panda Fest Savannah
Tickets for Panda Fest Savannah go on sale Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. EDT. Organizers say a limited number of early-bird tickets will cost $10, followed by general admission at $14 and VIP admission at $35. Saturday tickets will cost $2 more.
General admission includes a customized Panda pin and Panda headband. VIP tickets add a Panda Fest bag, fast-pass entry and access to exclusive VIP areas and restrooms. Gate admission will be $20, depending on venue capacity, and advance ticket holders will get priority entry.
Children under 6 do not need a ticket. The festival will open Friday, Oct. 16 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How the Savannah event fits Panda Fest's growing national footprint
Panda Fest’s Savannah debut gives the festival another Southeast stop as it continues building a national identity around Asian food and culture. The event’s mix of ticket tiers, branded merchandise and multiple vendor categories shows how the festival is designed for both casual visitors and people willing to spend more for faster access and extra perks.
For local attendees, the appeal may be simple: a chance to sample a wide range of dishes, see performances and shop for Asian-inspired art, jewelry, accessories, handmade goods and collectibles without leaving the Savannah area. For organizers, the weekend is another test of how the event translates in a new market.
Festival updates, ticket information and future vendor announcements are available through pandafests.com and the event’s social media accounts, including @pandafestsavannah.
Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.
