The Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is one of the most iconic events on San Francisco’s cultural calendar. The festival has been happening since 1851, making it the oldest and largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia.
Lunar New Year is on January 22, 2023 this year. Although the parade isn’t until February 4th, you can ring in the Year of the Rabbit by looking for these beautiful rabbit sculptures around the city or learning about Chinese customs and traditions to celebrate at home (scroll to #5 in this article to get started).
Save the dates for all the festivities:
- Jan. 7 – Feb. 4: Rabbit on Parade photo contest
- Jan. 14-15: Flower Market Fair
- Jan. 22: Chinese New Year / Choy Sun Doe Day. Check out calligraphy demos and performances at the Ferry Building!
- Jan. 28: Basketball Jamboree
- Feb. 3: Miss Chinatown Pageant and Coronation Ball
- Feb. 4: Chinese New Year Parade
- Feb. 4-5: Community Street Fair
- Mar. 5: Chinatown YMCA Run
Read on for more information about this year’s festivities.
1. Chinese Lunar New Year Parade
Feb. 4, starting at 5:15pm
The beloved parade will happen on Market, Geary, Post, and Kearny Streets on February 4, 2023. It’s been named one of the top ten parades in the world by the International Festivals & Events Association, and is the biggest Lunar New Year parade outside of Asia. This year, over 100 units will take part, with elaborate floats and costumes, firecrackers, and the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA. You can get a good view all along the parade route, but there are usually bleacher seats available costing between $40-60.
Last year, the parade added a brand-new 288-foot Golden Dragon (“Gum Lung”), carried by a team of 180 people. Several Lucasfilm-recognized STAR WARS™ costuming organizations also took part last year, and the parade closed with a spectacular 3-minute fireworks finale. You’ll have to visit in person to see how the 2023 parade compares!
Don’t forget to check out the Community Street Fair (Feb 4-5, 2023), with over 120 booths set up on Washington, Jackson, Pacific, and Grant Avenues. Purchase excellent artisanal products and enjoy Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming, and more. You can also snap a photo with artifacts from the parade including the giant puppets and dragon.
Do your best to take public transportation to the parade, as thousands of people are expected to show up and street parking will be limited. The festival is sponsored by Alaska Airlines and hosted by the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
2. Find all of these giant hand-painted rabbit statues around SF
Jan. 7 – Feb. 5
Lunar New Year is often celebrated in San Francisco with large hand-painted statues to be auctioned off around town (anyone remember these giant tiger sculptures from 2022?) This year, there will be 5 jumbo rabbit statues placed around the city for the Rabbit on Parade photo contest! Find them around San Francisco from January 7 through February 5, and be sure to tag your pics of the rabbits on social media with @chineseparade and #rabbitonparade. The winner will receive a gift package with $100 cash, a Lucky Supermarket gift card, a rabbit plush toy, and a Rabbit on Parade T-shirt — see more info here.
3. Flower Market Fair
Jan. 14-15
Lunar New Year is on January 22nd, but Chinatown will be popping at the popular Flower Market Fair! Visit on Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 14-15) from 10:30am-3:30pm, with everything from Kung Fu demonstrations to magic shows. Explore over 120 booths to buy fresh flowers, fruits, and more necessities to ring in the Year of the Rabbit. Both days start with a mini parade along Grant Ave at 10:30am.
4. Join the Chinatown YMCA’s New Year Run
Mar. 5
The Chinatown YMCA will host their 45th annual Chinese New Year Run/Walk, which has both 5K and 10K options. Participants can join for the in-person event on March 6, or complete a virtual run between February 20 and March 13. The basic race package will include registration, a race t-shirt, a finisher medal, and a goodie bag. Those born in the Year of the Rabbitwill receive an exclusive pin!
5. Ring in the new year with these Chinese customs and traditions
The way you celebrate during these days is said to affect your luck for the rest of the year! Be sure to follow these customs to bring you good fortune in the Year of the Rabbit:
- Thoroughly clean the house and buy new clothes for the family.
- Stock up on lucky fruits including oranges, grapes, plums, and kumquats; and lucky flowers such as orchids, peonies, and peach blossoms.
- Put up “spring couplets” on either side of your door to express good wishes for the new year.
- On the big day (January 22, 2023), set off firecrackers to drive away bad spirits and bad luck. You can also wear your new clothes, give the children money in red envelopes, and give a new year’s greeting to others: the Cantonese “gong xi fa cai” (pronounced gung hey fat choi) or the Mandarin “xin nian kuai le” (pronounced shin nee-an kwai le)
- After you ring in the new year, don’t clean your house for 2 days so as to preserve the luck you’ve accumulated. Also, don’t eat porridge, break dishes, wear black or white clothing, or borrow and lend money. All of these activities bring bad luck to your new year!