The year of the wood snake is a magical time of wisdom and collective transformation. Come to Chinatown to celebrate the new year in an evening of delicious foods, dancing, music, poetry, healing spaces , alongside an incredible maker and night market to bring in the new year grounded in intention and community.
The Pacific Renaissance Plaza courtyard will be lit up with lanterns on bamboo sticks plus have giant red scrolls hanging. There will be about 25 vendors with traditional lantern festival foods like herbal soups and Chinese desserts, plus here are many chef entrepreneurs showcasing their latest dishes from different immigrant culturals in Oakland including Palestinian/Cuba (falafels, harissa wings and yucaa fries), Panama (tamales), Mexico (Oaxacan cacao) and more plus vendors focusing on healing arts.
Opened to the public in 1993, YBCA was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. Centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the community it serves.
YBCA is located in the heart of San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood, across the street from SFMOMA and the Moscone Convention Center. The main entrance to our galleries and forum event space is at 701 Mission Street. The main entrance to our theater is 700 Howard Street.
For more information please visit the links below:
Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of San Francisco’s exhilarating Chinatown during one of the community’s most exciting times of the year. The Chinatown Community Street Fair takes place the weekend of the Chinese New Year Parade. At the fair, experience Chinese cultural arts such as Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming and much more at the entertainment stage on Pacific St. below Grant Ave.
You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise. The SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce has activities and entertainment for all ages. Make sure to get a family photo with the giant puppets, dragon and other memorable artifacts from the Parade!
Attendance at the two-day fair in the past has typically been around 500,000.
Washington, Jackson and Pacific bwtween Stockton and Kearny
Chinese New Year Parade takes place Saturday, February 15, 2025 from 5:15 to 8 pm – from Market and Second, to Kearny and Jackson with elaborate floats, lion dancers, folk dancers, costumed elementary school groups, marching bands, stilt walkers, Chinese acrobats, and a 288 foot long Golden Dragon (“Gum Lung”).
For more information please follow the links below
Join us for a Lunar Celebration on Sunday, February 2 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Participants of all ages can try your hand at traditional calligraphy, origami, and auspicious crafts for all ages! Dance along with festive performances – try your luck at our games of fortune and win a prize. Get into the spirit and welcome the Year of the Snake alongside the San Francisco Bay Area AAPI community! After the event, come visit the SF Botanical Gardens. Admission to the SF Botanical Garden is free for San Francisco residents, those qualifying for the Museums for All program, Gardens members, and Veterans.
When: Sunday, February 2, 2025 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: County Fair Building Auditorium located at 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Performance Schedule – TBA
Activity Schedule (While Supplies Last) – More TBA!
Ginkgo Zee (entire program) Unleash your inner dragon-master with GinkgoZee’s Dragon Stamps! Join us for a unique “Make Your Own Dragon” activity, where you’ll craft your very own mythical beast using stamps hand-carved by Jennifer Zee herself that represent different parts of the dragon.
SF Bay Area Moms Booth(entire program) Participants of all ages can try your hand at traditional calligraphy, origami, and auspicious crafts for all ages! Try your luck at our games of fortune and win a prize!
This event is free to attend. This reservation is not a ticket to admission for the Gardens. Admission to the SF Botanical Garden is free for San Francisco residents, those qualifying for the Museums for All program, Gardens members, and Veterans. Non San Francisco resident admission on Sundays is typically $20.75
Join the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation to celebrate the 2025 Hearts in San Francisco that support excellence in patient care and innovation at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
In 2025, 22 artists have been selected to participate in the 2025 Hearts in San Francisco public art project including two Large Heart sculptures, 10 Table Top Heart sculptures, and 10 Mini Heart sculptures.
The latest Hearts in San Francisco Heart Sculptures were unveiled on January 13, 2025 and will be on display at the Ferry Building through February 3, 2025.
Designed by local Bay Area artists, these one-of-a-kind pieces of art will be auctioned off to benefit the Hospital on February 6, 2025, at Hearts in SF 2025.
Hearts in San Francisco sculptures can be spotted throughout the City and beyond. All of the ‘heartworks’ are privately owned and some are in easily discovered locations, such as the lobbies and storefronts of our generous corporate supporters, others are at the homes of private individuals. Out of respect for the privacy of our donors and supporters, we are unable to release a list of private locations for the hearts. But if you look closely around the City, we’re sure you’ll be able to spot a few. The most recognizable heart – Tony Bennett’s America’s Greatest City By the Bay – resides permanently on the corner of Powell and Post Streets in San Francisco’s Union Square. Enjoy!
You’re invited to an eclectic and electric evening hosted by Rivian to celebrate the grand opening of the new flagship Rivian Space in Hayes Valley.
The night market will highlight local Hayes Valley artisans, and feature electrifyinglive music, interactive exhibits, family-friendly lawn games and more. Local eateries will have discounted food and drink. The market will be located on Hayes Street between Octavia and Gough, and expand into the PROXY space, as well as the new Rivian Space on Fell Street.
Hayes Valley Rivian Showroom Open House [340 Fell St] You’re invited to explore the new flagship Rivian Space! Come in and kick the tires while you kick it with new friends.
Camp Rivian Singalongs, storytelling, a wishing forest, crafts and Camp Rivian’s Best (Worst?) Dad Joke Competition at 7:45pm (RSVP with the “Best Dad Joke” ticket type to register to compete–first come, first served on site!).
The Backyard Party Zone Hula hoops, lawn games, bubbles, beats, and more.
The Marketplace Shop small and local for special treasuers including jewelry and vintage clothing. Find awesome records and jam out at the Vinyl Village.
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt Visit participating brick and mortar businesses in Hayes Valley, take a photo of their storefront display, and tag @IntoTheStreetsSF on Facebook to Instagram to enter giveaways.
Golden Gate Park’s gorgeous magnolias are expected to have their peak bloom a little later in February
Thanks to San Francisco Botanical Garden for sharing the news that the first of their beautiful magnolias are blooming.
One of San Francisco’s most breathtaking natural marvels, the annual bloom of more than 200 rare and historic magnolias with trees reaching 80 feet, is typically at its peak from January through March at the SF Botanical Garden.
Velvety silver buds on the often bare branches of these elegant trees, many rare and historic, open into dazzling pink, magenta, and white flowers, filling the wintery garden with dramatic splashes of color and sweetly fragrant scents.
View 2025 Magnificent Magnolias Map for a self-guided highlights walk. View 2025 Magnificent Magnolias programming including Curator Tours, Sketching, Magnolia Moonlight Walk, felt Magnolia Flowers Workshop and more.
The Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair is held on the weekend before Chinese New Year Day. The Flower Fair is the place to come to purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and brand new supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year. Delight in performances of traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, folk dancers and opera as you take in the beautiful fragrances of spring. You will find over 120 booths and concessions making this a shopper’s paradise.
The Flower Fair is the place to come to purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and brand new supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year.
The 2025 Flower Market Fair is scheduled for January 25-26, 2026.
Sat. 10am – 6pm
Sun. 9am – 6pm
Chinatown, San Francisco, CA
Fruits
Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness. The Cantonese word for tangerine, gut, sounds like good luck, while oranges, gum sound like gold. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure. For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children.
Flowers and Plants
Flowers and plants symbolize growth and if a plant blooms on New Year’s Day, this will signify a year of prosperity. The Chinese firmly believe that without flowers, there would be no formation of any fruits to bear seeds for the next generation. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to have flowers and floral decorations in the home to begin a new year.
Candies
Sweets are served to family and friends when they visit your home during Chinese New Year. The candies are displayed on a Harmony Tray in either groups of nine which sounds like longevity or eight, a homonym for prosperity.
Some of the more popular items you will find on the Harmony Tray are: candied melon (symbolizes growth and good health), red melon seeds (represents joy, happiness, truth, many sons and sincerity); candied coconut (encourages togetherness) and lotus seeds (represents fertility).
The Richmond District’s First-Ever Lunar New Year Parade
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with the Richmond’s first-ever Lunar New Year Parade! Schools, community groups, businesses, and artists are invited to participate in this historic celebration by showcasing their creativity and spirit. Join us on Balboa Street and let the audience’s cheers decide the winners. Prizes will be awarded for Best Thematic Float, Most Entertaining Performance, and Best Community Spirit.
For more information please visit the links below:
The Napa Lighted Art Festival is a celebration of creative arts, technology and lights, and supports innovative techniques using light and light technologies as a growing art medium. This walkable outdoor experience is FREE in Downtown Napa featuring 11 lighted art sculptures for five weeks and projection artwork on three iconic downtown buildings for the first nine nights of the festival. Bring the family and experience the magic of lighted art at the 2025 Napa Lighted Art Festival!
Napa Lighted Art Festival January 18 – February 16, 2025 Friday-Saturday 6-10pm | Sunday-Thursday 6-9pm Downtown Napa FREE
January 18th – February 16th projection artwork is back and will be displayed on 3 iconic downtown buildings for the first 9 nights of the festival.
Meet the Artist
Learn more about the artists and their artwork in person! Several of our artists will be visiting the festival and will be available for a more intimate perspective into their background, artistic process, story behind their installation and any other question you may have for them.
This event is FREE for the community 4:30pm – 6pm Saturday, January 18th Aerena Gallery 600 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Youth Storytime
5:00-6:00pm Saturday, February 1st 1151 Pearl Street
Join us for a Storytime with Napa Bookmine at the Napa Lighted Art Festival! Our friends at Napa Bookmine will be reading short stories and selling books at this year’s installation Down the Rabbit Hole. This is a FREE community event, and everyone is welcome! Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver at all times.
Glow Party
6:00-8:00pm Saturday, February 8th 1151 Pearl Street
Get your glow on at the Napa Lighted Art Festival! Come boogie with the disco bunny at Down the Rabbit Hole, an installation by Colorado-based artists Darrell E Ansted and Katie D’Arcangelo. The Glow Party, sponsored by the Children Museum of Napa Valley and Napa Parks & Recreation Foundation, is a family-friendly “art after dark” experience at the Napa Lighted Art Festival. Feel free to dress up and bring your favorite light up items. This is a FREE community event so come enjoy the music and let glow!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/gettyimages-511520684-1-71d0a72cf50e4e4481cdc90bfc937f0a.jpg)
