Chinese New Year Parade & Festival 2013 Ethnic Festival / Parade / Street Fair Feb 2–24, 2013

In San Francisco, Chinese-Americans make up 21.4% of the population, which checks in at the highest percentage of any city in the United States. Chinese culture has been preserved and shared in The City by the Bay since Chinese immigrant laborers worked to build the town’s railroad in the 19th century. 

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade & Festival was first held in 1858 where Grant Avenue and Kearny Street currently sit. The celebration is by far the largest and most extravagant in America, and the event is the biggest of its kind outside of China.

The parade introduces Miss Chinatown USA to the public and features a two hundred-foot Golden Dragon manned by more than one hundred puppeteers, along with countless other floats and marchers. Hundreds of different groups from the Chinese community and greater San Francisco participate, and it’s estimated that around 600,000 firecrackers are shot off to ensure each parade ends in style. 

Restaurants and bars along the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade & Festival route offer specials on drinks and food packages. The parade route is always available online and varies from year to year.

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade & Festival is free to attend, but bleacher seats are normally available for around $30.