Tens of thousands of people descended on San Francisco Saturday to enjoy the annual Chinese New Year Parade.
This year’s parade celebrated the Year of the Snake. The annual parade in San Francisco is thought to be the largest such lunar new year celebration outside of China. There is also be a two-day Community Street Fair held in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Grant Ave. between California and Broadway. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, with more than 120 booths and concessions as well as an entertainment stage located on Pacific Ave. below Grant Ave., organizers said.
When and where does the parade start?
The Chinese New Year Parade began at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15. The parade started at 2nd and Market St. and proceeds via Market to Geary, turning right onto Powell and then Post before turning left and proceeding down Kearny to Columbus where it disbanded between Pacific and Washington. The parade staging area is on Market St. from 2nd to Beale, Second Street from Market to Mission, and Main Street from Market to Harrison. The distance of the parade route is approximately 1.3 miles and the procession takes approximately 2.5 hours from start to finish.
Chinese New Year Parade map.
Chinese New Year Parade
While there is space to watch the free parade from sidewalks along the route, many families opt to purchase seats in the bleacher sections that are set up at several points along the route. The bleacher sections are located at Geary between Stockton and Powell, Post between Grant and Kearny and two sections on Kearny between California and Sacramento and Washington and Jackson. Bleacher tickets must be purchased in advance online to sit in the bleacher sections, but those tickets are already sold out. Officials note that the route gets more crowded as the parade gets closer to Chinatown.
Who is appearing in the parade?
The renowned actress Joan Chen served as the grand marshal of this year’s parade. She first came to global fame for her portrayal of Empress Wanrong in director Bernardo Bertolucci Oscar-nominated historical epic The Last Emperor before starring in the David Lynch/Mark Frost television series “Twin Peaks” as Josie Packard. While she would continue to act in both American and Chinese film productions, Chen moved into directing in 1998 with the critically acclaimed film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. More recently, Chen received rave reviews playing the caring and compassionate mother to a rebellious teenager in the 2023 coming of age comedy-drama Dìdi. A variety of San Francisco politicians and local entertainers are also expected to attend.
How will the parade impact traffic?
A number of streets in the Financial District were closed for parade staging and for the parade itself, according to the SFMTA. The streets reopened after the parade was clear and the streets cleaned, at approximately 9:30 p.m. There was no street parking allowed along the parade route, which will impact parking and traffic throughout downtown starting early Saturday afternoon. Parking was available at public garages located in Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach. Drivers are advised to avoid the area for the most of the day due to the scheduled street closures and anticipated traffic congestion.
People attending the parade were advised to use public transportation given the additional traffic expected in San Francisco due to the weekend festivities related to the NBA All-Star Game. The closest BART and Muni Metro station to the start of the parade route is Montgomery Station. The Powell Station is also nearby. Muni service will also be free for the entire weekend with the exception of the cable car lines.
Many downtown Muni routes will reroute or switchback — changing from inbound to outbound. Additionally, most Market St. routes will operate on Mission St. instead. Routes that cross Market St. will be rerouted around the event areas. Reroutes for parade closures begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. A complete list of impacted bus, streetcar and cable car lines is available at the SFMTA website. The Chinese New Year Parade website also offers transit information. More information about the festivities can be found at www.chineseparade.com.
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Dave Pehling
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