CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES IN SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco's Chinese community is the biggest outside Asia. Hence all the exciting Chinese New Year festivities organized in the city.
Here is our selection of events in Chinatown and beyond.Enjoy Chinese traditions with flowers, parade, dance, music, art, kites, firecrackers... and celebrate the beginning of Lunar Year of the Dog.
Chinese New Year Flower Market
According to the Chinese tradition, every household should have blooming plants as a symbol of rebirth and new growth, and flowers as symbol of prosperity and good career. A blooming flower on New Year's Day will bring the household prosperity for the year.
Go and buy these auspicious flowers and plants while the kids enjoy fun activities (like photo and petting zoo). Get a flavor of Asia with traditional Chinese dance and music in Chinatown.
February 10 & 11, 2018
Grant avenue from Clay to Broadway, Pacific avenue from Kearny to Stockton.
Free
New Year’s Day
February 16, 2018 will be the the first day of the Lunar Year 4716. Happy New Year of the Dog!
Chinese traditions to welcome the new year.
Chinese New Year Community Street Fair
Enjoy Chinese ancient and modern culture in the streets of San Francisco with dance, music, calligraphy, kite-making and acrobatics. Kids will love it!
Chinatown Community Street Fair
February 24 & 25, 2018
Chinatown
Free
Chinese New Year Parade
The event you don't want to miss!
The first parade was organized in 1860 by the Chinese community just after the Gold Rush. It was meant to educate the Chinese immigrants and their children about their culture.
Since then, the parade has grown to be the largest Chinese celebration outside Asia and is one of the top 10 parades in the world (according to IFEA)!
The most spectacular is the 250' long dragon carried by a hundred people through the streets of San Francisco.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
5:15pm - 8pm
Gratuit
We recommend public transportation to avoid traffic (buy your round trip pass in advance to avoid lines). Roads will be closed at 4pm. Find out more about the parade's route.
So many different ways to celebrate...
Listen to classical music :
Chinese New Year Celebration at the Symphony. The family friendly reception at 3:00 pm provides fun activities for kids with varied workshops (calligraphy, lion dancing) and complimentary food and tea. The orchestra concert starts at 4:00 pm and offers both Western and Chinese classics.
Chinese New Year at the SF Symphony
Be active :
YMCA’s Chinese New Year Run - Year of the Ram - 5K/10K. You can also walk.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Starts @ YMCA Chinatown Sacramento@Grant.
Have fun at the San Francisco zoo :
Take your family with you and enjoy Chinese acrobatics, dance and yo-yo tricks. Then take a self-guided tour to discover the animals of the Chinese zodiac and get a lucky red envelope for the kids! Admission ticket to the zoo must be purchased. But guests born in a year of the Dog receive free admission ! (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
February 24 & 25, 2018
11am - 3pm.
