The annual Chinese New Year festivities in San Francisco are coming up soon! For the next upcoming weeks there will be a variety of events taking place to ring in the Lunar Year of the Horse.
To begin the festivities, there will be a small procession and ribbon cutting ceremony. The miniature procession follows the same route as the original parade. It will start from St. Mary’s Square and proceed down Grant Avenue to the Flower Fair’s stage at Washington below Grant. The mayor of San Francisco and other officials will be at the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the start of the festivities.
On February 15, the spectacular Chinese New Year Parade will take place. It is regarded as one of the top ten parades in the world by the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). The procession will begin from Market and Second Street and will end at Kearny and Jackson. The parade will feature colorful floats, lion dancers, marching bands, Chinese acrobats and the 268 foot long Golden Dragon.
In the 1860s the Chinese New Year Parade and Festival was created to educate the community about Chinese culture. Now, the Chinese New Year Parade and Festival is one of the biggest cultural highlights in San Francisco. To join in the celebration check out the events listed below.
EVENTS
January 25: Mini parade and ribbon cutting ceremony
January 25-26: Chinese New Year Flower Fair
February 8: Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Pageant
February 8: Chinese Chamber of Commerce/Southwest Airlines Basketball Jamboree
February 9: Chinese Chamber of Commerce/Chinatown YMCA 10K/5K/Walk
February 14: Harrah’s Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Coronation Ball
February 14: Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade
February 15-16: Chinese New Year Community Street Fair
For additional information you can visit the official website.
