Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and San Francisco is known for having weeks of wonderful celebrations to ring in the new year. The Chinese New Year Parade and Festival 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 February 10, 2024. Although San Francisco’s parade isn’t until February 24th, you can ring in the Year of the Dragon with plenty of additional activities throughout the city. Plus, be on the lookout for 5 beautiful wooden dragon statues displayed throughout San Francisco to celebrate the new year.
Save the dates for all the festivities:
- Feb. 23, 2024: Miss Chinatown Pageant and Coronation Ball
- Feb. 24, 2024: Chinese New Year Parade
- Feb. 24-25, 2024: Community Street Fair
- Feb. 25, 2024: Lunar New Year Lantern Festival
- Mar. 3, 2024: Chinatown YMCA Run
Read on for more information about this year’s upcoming festivities.
1. Chinese New Year Parade
Feb. 24, 2024
Probably one of the most iconic events for Lunar New Year in SF, the parade has a long history in San Francisco. The beloved parade will happen on Market, Geary, Post, and Kearny Streets on Feb. 24, 2024 at 5:15 pm. 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.
In 2022, 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. For 2024, Hollywood star Awkawfina is set to be the Grand Marshal of the iconic parade.
Don’t forget to check out the Community Street Fair (Feb 24-25, 2024), with over 120 booths set up on Washington, Jackson, Pacific, and Grant Avenues. You can purchase excellent artisanal products and enjoy Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming, and more. Plus, snap some photos 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.
3. Join the Chinatown YMCA’s New Year Run
Mar. 3, 2024
The Chinatown YMCA will host their 46th annual Chinese New Year Run/Walk, which has both 5K and 10K options. The basic race package generally includes registration, a race t-shirt, a finisher medal, and a goodie bag.
4. 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 Dragon:
- 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 (Feb. 10, 2024), 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!
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn