Photo by @aspectphotographysf. Courtesy of
@chineseparade via Instagram.
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Every year, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco draws large crowds to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The parade is one of the biggest cultural celebrations in SF every year, and is a time-honored tradition to ring in the new year. The 2026 Chinese New Year Parade is this weekend, on Saturday, March 7, starting at 5:15 pm.
The parade starts on 2nd and Market St, and spans 1.3 miles around Downtown SF. The parade is known for its many floats and intricate costumes, and is one of the largest celebrations of its kind outside of Asia. You can expect a 288-foot-long Golden Dragon, firecrackers, and dancers during the parade. The parade will last a little over 2 hours to finish the full route. It is free to attend, but if you want a seat with a view, you can purchase bleacher tickets. Tickets start at $45 and sell fast, so we recommend getting yours soon.
Photo by Aspect Photography, courtesy of CNY Festival & Parade.
Every year the parade has a Grand Marshal, and this year’s is Olympic Champion Eileen Gu. Gu is from San Francisco and just won multiple medals at the Winter Olympics for skiing.
The Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco dates back to the 1860’s when many Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco for the Gold Rush. The event embraced the American tradition of parades to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and it has become a major celebration in San Francisco ever since.
Photo by Michael Warwick on Shutterstock
While the parade is the main event for the weekend, it isn’t the only new year celebration. A community street fair will take over Grant Avenue between California and Broadway all weekend. The street fair will feature numerous local vendors selling food and goods in the heart of Chinatown. You can expect family-friendly activities, music, and many other live performances during the street fair on March 7 and 8.
The Chinese New Year Parade is this weekend, on March 7. We recommend taking public transit, as parking may be difficult to find. You can learn more and buy bleacher tickets here.