The annual San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival & Parade attracts thousands of people.
The parade ranks among the best in the world, with 100 units, elaborate costumes, fireworks and the perennial crowd favorite 268-foot Golden Dragon, which takes a team of 100 men and women to navigate through the streets.
First held in 1851, it is the oldest and one of the largest events of its kind outside of Asia, and one of the largest Asian cultural events in North America.
Highlights of the parade include floats, lion dancers, costumes, marching bands, stilt walkers, acrobats, and more.
Observers can expect to hear at least 600,000 firecrackers, and are advised to bring ear plugs.
The Golden Dragon is one of the highlights of the parade, considered the “Grand Finale” of the parade. It is made in Foshan, China and is 268 feet long, and takes a team of 100 men and women from the martial arts group Leung’s White Crane Lion and Dragon Dance Association to carry it.
The parade is hosted by the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Parade Route: the parade starts at Second and Market Streets, downtown and works its way past Union Square, goes down Kearny Street, and ends up in Chinatown at Kearny and Washington.
And be sure to catch the Miss Chinatown Pageant on Friday.
What: San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024
Where: San Francisco, California
Homepage
https://www.facebook.com/chineseparade
