Lunar New Year celebrations culminate on Saturday in San Francisco with the annual Chinese New Year Parade, and multiple streets will be closed to traffic for the event.
The Chinese New Year Parade will, once again, include hundreds of floats and contingents, and will travel 1.3 miles from Second and Market streets, around Union Square to Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue. And, as this kicks off the Year of the Dragon, the parade will feature a special green dragon from China that represents prosperity and hope for the new year.
The parade kicks off at 5:15 pm Saturday, and is expected to last around two hours.
Some Muni bus re-routes and extra service will begin at 2 pm on the 8-Bayshore, 12-Folsom/Pacific, 30-Stockton and T-Third Street lines. See the full list of service changes here.
Muni rides will be free of charge starting at 2 pm.
Street closures are as follows:
- Second Street between Market and Mission streets will be closed starting at 2 pm.
- Market Street will be closed starting at 3 pm between Second and Geary.
- Geary Street will be closed between Market and Powell streets.
- Powell Street will be closed between Geary and Post.
- Post Street will be closed between Powell and Kearny.
- Kearny Street will be closed between Geary and Pacific.
The SFPD is warning parade-goers that large bags will not be allowed, and there will be plainclothed officers spread around the parade route.
“We want to make sure the SFPD standpoint that people come to Chinatown and enjoy themselves,” says SFPD Chief William Scott, speaking to KRON4. “It’s a great event year in and year out and we intend to make sure we do everything we can to continue that tradition.”
Below is the SFMTA’s video to celebrate Lunar New Year, shot at the Chinatown festival two weeks ago.
Photo: Knight Lights Photography via SF Chinese New Year Parade
Jay Barmann
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