Chinese New Year of the Rat 2008 Parade Information

The 2008 San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade will begin at 5:30 pm on Saturday February 23rd. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to turn out for this year's event sponsored by Southwest Airlines. This parade has been named as one of the top ten parades in the country and is one of only a few illuminated nighttime parades in the United States. The tradition of the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco began in the 1860's as a means for the locals to learn about the Chinese culture. It has developed into one of the largest celebrations of Asian culture outside of Asia and has been under the direction of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce since 1958.

Highlights of the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade include vibrantly colored floats featuring this year's Chinese Zodiac sign...the rat, gorgeous costumes, and the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA. The parade will also include marching bands, martial arts groups, stilt walkers and Chinese acrobats. The appearance of the Golden Dragon and the 600,000 sparkling firecrackers mark the grand finale of the parade, which spectators anxiously anticipate only because it is so breathtaking. The 201 feet long Golden Dragon's head is covered in a rainbow of pompoms. It is decorated with colored lights, silver rivets and white rabbit fur. The 29 segments of this masterpiece are made of bamboo and rattan and requires a team of 100 men and women to carry it through the streets of San Francisco.

Rain or shine, the 2 ½ hour long Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade will begin on Second and Market Streets, proceed up Geary to Union Square, turn north on Powell Street, east on Post and north on Kearny Street and then ends on Columbus Avenue. The parade route does tend to become more crowded with spectators closer to Chinatown and it is recommended to arrive by 5:00 pm no matter where you choose to view the parade. There is no admission fee to view the parade, however if you would like bleacher seating located on Kearny Street (between Sacramento & California and between Pine & Bush), there is a $30 fee. If ordering 10 or more bleacher tickets a 10% discount will be given. Bleacher tickets can be ordered by calling (415) 982-3071 or (415) 986-1370. Additional popular viewing spots include the TV broadcasters' area along Union Square, around Portsmouth Square, the review stand area at the end of the parade where floats are judged, or up above the crowd in a street view hotel room in the St. Francis Hotel overlooking Union Square.

There are parking garages available in the area of the parade route. The parking garages at Union Square are located on the following streets:

O'Farrell

Post/Geary

Stockton/Sutter

Mission/5^th

Sutter Street

Parking garages can also be found in Chinatown on the following streets:

Kearny/Clay

Columbus Avenue

Kearny Street SF

Vallejo at Powell Street

The city and sponsors of the 2008 Chinese New Year Parade strongly urge spectators to take public transportation to avoid traffic jams. The Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) System, an underground train system, will be running as will the MUNI. Purchasing a round trip BART ticket in advance will allow you to avoid long ticket lines the day of the parade. There is no charge for children under 4 and a red discount ticket is available for children 5 -12 years of age for $9. This red ticket must be purchased either online or at a ticket location before February 23^rd. BART discount tickets are also available for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. If you are taking MUNI or BART to the parade, get off at Powell Street or Montgomery Street. Additional rail and bus services are available.

Be sure to visit http://www.chineseparade.com/ for more details.

Resources:

http://www.chineseparade.com/