Lunar New Year 2026 Parade & Events

The Flower Market Fair for Chinese New Year takes place on the weekend prior to the holiday on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15. Located on Grant Street between Clay and Broadway, this vibrant market is the perfect spot to buy fresh flowers, fruits, candies, and new home essentials to welcome the lunar new year.

Now in its 48th year, the Chinatown YMCA CCHP Lunar New Year Run gives participants a rare opportunity to run through San Francisco Chinatown’s historic (and slightly hilly) streets. Proceeds from this event support youth and teen programs, social services for low-income families, and financial assistance to make Chinatown YMCA programs accessible to all. Sunday, March 1.

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Each year, more than a dozen women from around the U.S. compete for the title of Miss Chinatown U.S.A. This year's pageant will be held on Friday, March 6, at the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square.

One of the grandest nighttime illuminated parades in the U.S., the parade started in the 1860s and has grown to be one of the largest celebrations of Asian culture in this hemisphere. Parade highlights include elaborate floats, lion dancers, folk dancers, costumed school groups, marching bands, stilt walkers, Chinese acrobats and a 268-foot-long Golden Dragon.

This year's parade will be held on Saturday, March 7, and will start on Second and Market streets. If this is your first parade, bleacher seats might be a good suggestion. Crowds are extremely dense along the parade route. If you opt for the standing room option, be sure to stake out your spot well before parade time. Arriving between 3:30 and 4 p.m. is recommended. Ear plugs are suggested for all ages; firecrackers are an integral part of the parade. Parking south of Market Street is usually easier; garages in Union Square will be impacted by crowds and street closures. Muni and BART are excellent options to get to and from the parade. And bring an umbrella. It will often rain on the parade, and it is considered good luck, so everyone takes it in stride.