By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
After the shooting deaths of three people and four people getting injured at the Bite of Seattle on July 26, public safety becomes a main concern for the next outdoor festival this weekend.
The annual Panda Fest begins on Friday, Aug. 28 through Sunday at the Fisher Pavilion. Its organizers added a three-layer security screening system. Organizers expect about 30,000 attendees.
“People attending events at Seattle Center will see a high-visibility presence of uniformed Seattle Police officers for the remainder of the summer,” said Jennifer Sullivan, strategic advisor II in the Seattle Police Department (SPD)’s communications and public affairs unit.
The festival is one of the biggest outdoor Asian food festivals in the U.S. that features an oversized panda inflatable, panda dough figurine, panda face painting, and Panda-themed food.
Security improvements are now in effect
BiuBiu Xu
“We are excited to return to Seattle for our second year and have increased our security measures,” said Panda Fest co-founder BiuBiu Xu. “Creating a safe and enjoyable environment for not only festivalgoers but also our staff, vendors, and performers is our top priority.” Xu co-founded the festival with her husband, Ang Zuo.
Improvements to the festival’s security infrastructure were made. Xu said, “We began by coordinating closely with the SPD and Seattle Center staff on ways to maintain security both inside the festival grounds and at exterior entry points.”
“All attendees will enter through designated security screening areas that have OPENGATE metal detection systems, supplemented by bag checks and handheld security wands. The festival has also added expanded check-in lanes and improved crowd flow throughout the enclosed Fisher Pavilion footprint.”
Security begins with a plan made before arriving at Panda Fest
Michael O’Rourke, chief executive officer of Yelm-based Advanced Operational Concepts and a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, said, “Much of my work these days involves helping organizations and individuals plan for sudden threats, including those that can hit crowded public events.”
After the Bite of Seattle, O’Rourke offers individuals and families “a few practical habits to improve their safety without turning every outing into a tactical exercise.”
A sound plan includes three factors: The first is to make leaving immediately the priority when you sense danger.
O’Rourke said, “Vanquish denial. Don’t talk yourself out of acting. If something abnormal kicks off that doesn’t belong—sharp noises that aren’t part of the music, a sudden rush of people moving one direction, or folks dropping in one spot, move. Waiting for an announcement or for someone else to confirm it is how people lose critical seconds.”
He points out the survival mechanism is “in the ancient part of our brains.”
“That gut reaction is usually your brain picking up on patterns faster than you can explain them,” O’Rourke said.
The second factor is: Stop to assess nearby surroundings. Pause long enough after arriving at a public event to identify at least two exits or open routes away from the most crowded spaces.
“Notice where the thickest crowds are, check the stages or tents, and see if there’s any visible security,” O’Rourke said. “You’re basically doing what we used call ‘a quick mental map of the ground.’”
The third factor is: Choose a specific meeting location if family members become separated—including deciding ahead of time who remains with the children at all times and keeps them calm.
“Locate a couple of rally points outside the venue. Pick spots that are easy to find even if you’re stressed. These could be a specific corner, a landmark, or the entrance to a particular parking garage,” he said.
“Also note secondary exists so you’re not locked into the main ones.”
Tyler Rodgers
Tyler Rodgers, founder and chief executive officer of Privin Investigations, is a Navy and Army veteran with 18 years in military intelligence, law enforcement, and corporate security. His global investigative company does business in over 50 countries, providing investigative services to a variety of clients including Fortune 500 companies.
“That background is exactly why I get asked about crowd safety and emergency response at public events,” Rodgers said. “That experience gives families something practical, a real plan for how to act when danger shows up at a crowded venue.”
On the first factor, he addressed running during an emergency. He said, “Evacuating safely when gunfire or panic breaks out comes down to one split-second choice.”
“Run away from the sound, never toward it,” Rodgers said. “I’ve walked clients through this exact scenario during threat assessments, and the ones who stay safe are the ones who drop low behind something solid, a concrete wall or a car, not a folding table or a banner that just hides you without actually protecting you.”
Injuries from people getting stepped on during an emergency response occur on top of the original threat.
On the second factor, he said, “Staying safe at a crowded event starts the moment you walk in, not after something goes wrong.” Identifying two emergency exits can be done within the first few minutes of arrival.
Rodgers expands the third factor by identifying a specific meeting location and actually saying it out loud, “not just thinking about it in your head.”
“I’ve trained groups who talked through their plan beforehand, and when something real happened, they moved with purpose,” he said. “Groups who skipped that step just froze up, not knowing what to do next. So before you walk in, tell your family where the exits are, where you’ll meet, and what to do if you get split up. Say it out loud, or it isn’t really a plan at all.”
Rodgers said, “At the end of the day, none of this takes special training, just a few minutes of talking it through before the doors open.”
Staying safe at outdoor public events is a combination of many factors
“You can have a plan, stay mentally in the game, and still have a lot of fun. I like to tell our students that they aren’t paranoid, but they’re now living in a state of relaxed alertness,” O’Rourke said.
For more information about Panda Fest, go to www.pandafests.com/pandafestevents/seattle2026.
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