Chinese New Year Flower Fair

February 2

Celebration of Chinese New Year in San Francisco kicks off with the Chinese New Year Flower Fair, set in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. The Flower Fair provides a festive atmosphere for the community to purchase their annual lunar new year flowers and produce, while enjoying traditional Chinese dance, music, art, and cutural displays.

The Chinese New Year Flower Fair blossoms with an abundance of fresh auspicious flowers such as peach blossoms, narcissus, orchids, snap dragons, and chrysanthemums, and fruits such as oranges and tangerines. Kids can enjoy the Flower Fair's petting zoo, photo area, and other fun activities, while traditional Chinese dance and music are performed on the main stage, along with an array of entertainment from other Asian cultures.

A mini-parade will begin on Saturday, February 2, at 10:30 a.m., featuring a 40-foot dragon, Chinese Giant Puppets, the Yellow River Drummers, and the Emperor's Court. The mini-parade begins at California Street and Grant Avenue, and ends at Pacific Avenue and Stockton Street, where the mayor of San Francisco will preside over a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Chinese New Year is a two-week spring festival celebrated for more than 5,000 years in China. The San Francisco Chinese New Year celebration originated in the 1860s during the Gold Rush days and is now the largest Asian event in North America.

The celebration includes two major fairs, the Chinese New Year Flower Fair (February 2-3) and the Chinatown Community Street Fair (February 23-24). The highlight of the festivities is the spectacular Chinese New Year Parade (February 23).