It’s the Year of the Fire Horse, and the Bay Area will be celebrating with a long-standing tradition: the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco on March 7.
Many different cultures observe Lunar New Year, and this year is the Year of the Fire Horse, representing action, risk-taking and even financial positivity.
Past Fire Horse years include 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014.
(And for some fun further reading, take a look at how Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy character has somehow become a Year of the Horse meme mascot for 2026.)
This year’s Parade Grand Marshall will be San Francisco-born Eileen Gu, an Olympic gold medalist and freestyle skier. The parade is always free, so you should expect large crowds.
Keep reading for what to know about the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade in March, including the parade route map and street closures that day.
For timely updates, you can follow the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade’s official social media pages and website.
The parade starts at 5:15 p.m. on March 7, which is a Saturday.
The route begins at Second and Market streets, goes around Union Square and ends at Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue. The total route is around 1.3 miles long.
The parade is a free event. However, if you want to sit on the bleachers, you’ll need paid tickets to be assigned a specific section (but not a specific seat).
There are four bleacher sections, each on:
Tickets range from $45 to $75, and can be bought online for email delivery. The more expensive options include a gift bag. Bleacher seating is free for children under two, as long as they are sitting on the lap of a caregiver.
Organizers suggest that if you buy tickets, you’ll need to check in and be seated early on March 7, close to 4 p.m., to be ready for the start of the parade.
All sections of the bleachers will have wheelchair seating, but you will need a ticket regardless.
If you need accessible spaces, you will also need a ticket. Portable restrooms will be available near the bleachers.
Chinese New Year Parade organizers strongly encourage public transportation.
The SF Muni bus system has not yet released its 2026 guidance on transportation, street closures and reroutes during the parade.
But if you’d like an idea of what to expect, last year, the following areas were closed:
According to the 2025 SFMTA guidance, the easiest way to get to the parade is through the Market Street Subway at Montgomery Station, near the beginning of the parade.
However, SFMTA also recommends using nearby Powell Station, “just a few blocks from where the Parade goes around Union Square,” which is the transfer point between the Central Subway and the Market Street Subway.
The closest BART stations are Montgomery Station (at Market and Second streets), Embarcadero and Powell Street.
There are parking garages at:
You can also get a parking pass on websites like SpotHero.
The parade will happen rain or shine, according to the Chinese New Year parade’s official website.
You can keep an eye out for the weather on the National Weather Service website — but remember, it’s the Bay Area. Layers will be helpful.
You can also adorn yourself in lucky colors like red and gold to mark the Lunar New Year.
The parade is a public event, so organizers say you should not bring things like weapons, firearms, explosives or drones.
“Out of consideration for others, we request that large items that may encroach on others’ space—such as oversized cushions, coolers, pets, selfie sticks or camera tripods—are not brought into the bleacher sections,” the website reads.
You can view the official event calendar on the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade’s website. But there are also a ton of Lunar New Year parties and events happening across the Bay Area.
Be sure to secure your tickets and RSVPs soon, since spots can go out quickly.
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