Named one of the world’s top ten parades, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is the largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. It was started in the 1860s and takes place the weekend of the Chinese New Year Community Street Fair (March 7-8, 2026).

2026 Chinese New Year Parade
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 5:15 – 8 pm – rain or shine
Chinatown, San Francisco
FREE standing room (bleacher seats start at $48 for 2026)

Parade is approximately 1.3 miles in length and lasts about 2 1/2 hours.

A crowd favorite will be the new and spectacular 288-foot Golden Dragon (“Gum Lung”). It takes a team of over 180 men and women from the martial arts group White Crane to carry this dragon throughout the streets of San Francisco.

2026 Parade Route

The parade starts off at 2nd and Market Streets, goes around Union Square, and ends at Kearny Street & Columbus Ave. The distance of the parade route is approximately 1.3 miles. The parade is a free event for all to attend and you may stand anywhere on the parade route, behind the barricades, to watch the parade.

The entire parade route is an excellent place to view the parade but it does get more crowded as you get closer to Chinatown. If you purchased bleacher tickets, we strongly encourage you to check-in to your assigned section by 4:00 PM. Please note that SFPD will begin closing streets around 3pm and we are not responsible for any delays this may cause you to arrive to your assigned bleacher section on time.