San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade runs through downtown and Chinatown after dark, rain or shine, and draws crowds all along the route. The 2027 parade is on Saturday 20 February.
The 2027 parade
Saturday 20 February 2027, starting at 5:15pm at 2nd and Market Streets. It celebrates the Year of the Ram (the organizer’s name for it; the zodiac year is also called the Goat). The parade goes ahead in rain and takes about two and a half hours.
The route
About 1.3 miles: from 2nd and Market Streets, along Market and around Union Square (Geary, Powell and Post), then north on Kearny Street to Columbus Avenue. In 2026, SFMTA closed 2nd Street from 2pm and the main route from 3pm, and streets reopened at about 9:30pm; expect a similar pattern in 2027 and check SFMTA’s notice closer to the date. The organizer recommends public transport: the Central Subway (T line) and other Muni stops are about two blocks from the route.
Bleacher tickets
| Section | Where | 2026 price before fees |
|---|---|---|
| A | Kearny St, Washington to Jackson | A1, covered: $65 |
| B | Kearny St, California to Sacramento | $45 |
| C | Post St, Grant to Kearny | $45 |
| E | Geary St, Stockton to Powell | E3, with gift bag: $75 |
2027 tickets go on sale on 1 October 2026; prices were not published when we checked. All sales are final, children under 2 sit free on a lap, and accessible bleacher seating still needs a ticket. Ticket holders should be in their seats by 4pm.
The Chinatown street fair
The Community Street Fair is the same weekend, Saturday and Sunday 20–21 February 2027, on Grant Avenue between California Street and Broadway. It is a no-smoking event. 2027 hours are not out yet; in 2026 it ran 10am to 4:30pm on Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday.
When is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. The San Francisco parade is not held on the day itself: it was 7 March in 2026, when the new year fell on 17 February, and it is 20 February in 2027.
Around the parade: Chinatown and North Beach with kids and the best dim sum in San Francisco.
Checked against chineseparade.com (FAQ, tickets and street fair pages), the official ticket seller, SFMTA’s 2026 service notices and the Hong Kong Observatory calendar on 17 September 2026.
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When is the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade in 2027?
Saturday 20 February 2027, starting at 5:15pm at 2nd and Market Streets. It runs rain or shine and lasts about two and a half hours.
Why is the parade not on Lunar New Year?
The San Francisco parade is held on a Saturday a couple of weeks after the new year. Lunar New Year 2027 is Saturday 6 February; the parade is two weeks later, on 20 February. In 2026 the new year was 17 February and the parade was 7 March. The organizer does not publish how the date is chosen.
Do you need tickets for the Chinese New Year Parade?
No. Watching from the sidewalk along the route is free. Tickets are only for the bleacher seats, which go on sale on 1 October 2026 through the parade’s official seller. The 2026 bleachers cost $45 to $75 before fees and sold out.
Where is the best place to watch the parade?
Anywhere along the 1.3-mile route: Market Street near the start, around Union Square, or on Kearny Street toward the end in Chinatown. Get there early, because the streets close to traffic in the afternoon, and take public transport.