Happy New Year! Again!
Yes, it may seem like we’re a month late but, in San Francisco, the New Year comes twice. With January 1 long gone, it’s time to celebrate the Chinese New Year
A two week celebration, the Chinese Lunar Year celebrations in San Francisco are the largest in the country. The first week begins with family parties and gift exchanges among friends and relatives, while the second week has more public festivities, including the Miss Chinatown USA Pageant and the world famous Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade.
Read on to learn more about Chinese New Year in San Francisco!
Ranked as one of the top ten parades in the world, the Chinese New Year Parade is the largest in the country, a fitting fact considering San Francisco is home to the largest Chinese population outside of Asia. Complete with local marching bands, acrobats, firecrackers, a dancing Golden Dragon, and the newly crowned Miss Chinatown, this annual event is something that you won’t want to miss! The parade begins at 5:15pm and ends around 8pm on Saturday, February 15, traveling from Market and Second St. to Kearny and Jackson.
To view the parade, you can either purchase bleacher seats for $30 or just show up along the parade route and wait for the show to pass. San Francisco’s finally getting some rain, so be sure to bring a raincoat or poncho!
For more information regarding the parade and other Chinese New Year events, click here. (http://www.chineseparade.com/calendar.asp)
+++Extra tip: Want to go to the parade but need something fun to do during day? Why not check out San Francisco’s very own Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory?
As San Francisco (not China) is said to be the home of the fortune cookie, visiting the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory provides a great opportunity to watch the tasty treats being made and then taste the results. The factory is located on Ross Alley and Jackson St., fairly close to the ending point of the parade, so be sure to get a bag of cookies to munch on as you watch dragons and dancers go by!+++
Kung hei fat choi!!
