Panda-monium

Asian food fest to make San Antonio debut with more than 70 vendors

Panda Fest will be full of street food, artisan goods, and art showcases.

Photo courtesy of Panda Fest

A nationally known Asian food and culture festival is coming to San Antonio for the first time: Called Panda Fest, it's a two-day family-friendly event that will take place from November 21-22 at Hemisfair's Civic Park, where it will feature food, crafts, performances, and lots of panda attractions.

Panda Fest is a spinoff of a similar New York event, the famed Dragon Fest, and is one of the fastest-growing cultural festivals in the U.S. The nationally acclaimed Asian food and culture festival sold out in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, and Philadelphia.

Features include:

70+ food vendors serving 150+ dishes from across Asia such as authentic street food, sweet treats, and creative fusion bites
a marketplace with artisan crafts, clothing, and heritage goods
live performances ranging from lion dances to modern music showcases
arts like calligraphy and sugar painting
panda attractions including themed games and Insta-worthy photo ops

All of the above showcases the rich diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures, but with pandas remaining at the heart of the event.

Pandas will be seen throughout Civic Park in November.Photo courtesy of Panda Fest

“San Antonio’s rich culinary landscape and strong sense of community made it the perfect destination for Panda Fest,” said Xuan “BiuBiu” Xu, founder of Panda Fest, in a release. “We’re proud to bring an unforgettable experience and an authentic celebration of Asian food, art and culture to the Alamo City, just before the holidays!”

Tickets for the festival go on sale at 10 am on September 28 at pandafests.com for an early bird price of $10. General admission tickets start at $14 and VIP passes are $35.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

San Antonio scoops new Indian ice cream chain with global flavors

Dumont Creamery/ Facebook

Dumont Creamery specializes in global flavors.

An ice cream parlor with Indian roots has made its way to San Antonio. Dumont Creamery & Cafe will open its first area location in the buzzy Portico at Shaenfield Ranch shopping center at 7807 W. Loop 1604 N.

Dumont was founded in 1999 by brothers Vivek and Bhashkaar Inampudi, who were inspired by their father’s dream of creating a gourmet ice cream shop. Returning home from the U.S., the siblings ran with the idea and now own one of India’s largest ice cream factories.

The chain is a relative newcomer to the U.S., with Texas being its first target market. Since its first Frisco opening in 2023, it has spread throughout the state, mostly in North and Central Texas.

Dumont specializes in global flavors, including an Italian mint basil sorbet, Belgian Biscoff, a variety made with New Zealand hokey pokey (a popular honeycomb toffee), and kheer, a riff on India’s iconic rice pudding.

In addition to ice cream, the café serves the expected coffee and espresso drinks and boba tea. But the beverage menu also has an international bent that matches the frozen treats. Diners can order Algerian mazagran (a coffee drink with lemon), strawberry macha lattes, or falooda, a South Asian milkshake with rose syrup, vermicelli noodles, and basil seeds.

According to a new Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project filing, the 1,400-square-foot location is set to finish construction in February 2027. CultureMap has reached out to the company for an estimated opening date.

Dumont is not the only ice cream chain that will soon scoop multinational flavors. Ked's, a Plano-based chain with a similar menu, plans to open its first 19239 Stone Oak Pkwy by the end of the year.

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