Lunar New Year
Celebration Guide 2024
Discover Lunar New Year in San Francisco! Starting on Saturday, February 10th, 2024, it’s the Year of the Dragon ?✨ This vibrant festival is celebrated in many countries in Asia including China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and other regions around the world.
Immerse yourself in the festivities with dragon dances, performances, and lively events featuring music and acrobatics, culminating in a spectacular parade. To help you celebrate the Year of the Dragon, the APA Heritage Foundation has compiled an event guide for you.
If you’re born in the Year of the Dragon, embrace your ambitious, energetic, and charismatic traits. Leaders by nature, you inspire with passion and fearlessness. Wishing you a New Year filled with joy, prosperity, and the spirit of the dragon! ?✨
Featured Activities
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinese New Year Parade started back in the 1860’s to celebrate and showcase the Chinese Culture. Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by International Festivals & Events Association, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated Parades in North America and the biggest parade celebrating the lunar new year outside of Asia. The SF Chinese New Year Parade will be held on Feb 24, 2024.
Year of the Dragon on Parade
Five Dragon Sculptures culturally painted are displayed around San Francisco from January 28 – March 2, 2024 for everyone to explore. The Dragon Statues spotlight publicly submitted artwork that reflects upon the culture, people, and traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year.
Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Communities As One
A joint celebration of Black History Month and the Lunar New Year.
Hosted at the San Francisco Main Library, this event is co-presented by the following organizations: the Friends of the Library, San Francisco Human Rights Commission, APA Heritage Foundation, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, Office of London N. Breed, Chinese Historical Society of America, University of San Francisco and Both Sides of the Conversation.
Shop & Dine SF: Support Local Businesses
Find events and inspiration to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in San Francisco’s merchant corridors for Lunar New Year shopping and dining.
USPS Year of the Dragon Stamp
As the auspicious Year of the Dragon begins, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates the Lunar New Year with a colorful new stamp. The stamp will become available at all post offices and online at USPS.com after Jan 25, 2024.
SF Public Library Celebrates LNY
The fun commences in early January with an array of engaging activities that spotlight the rich heritage and customs associated with the annual celebration. From educational workshops to captivating performances, the San Francisco Library invites residents and visitors alike to join in the free celebrations and embrace the spirit of the season.
Made in Chinatown Pop-up
A temporary retail space inside Chinatown’s transit station for Asian-focused artwork and snack businesses at the Chinatown Rose Pak Station 華埠白蘭站 933 Stockton Street. Now open three days a week on Wed, Thur, and Fri.
Open every week:
- Wed & Thur: 12pm-5pm 週三和週四中午 12 點至下午 5 點
- Fri – Sun: 11am-6pm 週五至週日上午 11 點至下午 6 點
Zodiac Wall
Residents and visitors can write down their wishes for the new year in lucky red envelopes that are tiled to create a mosaic mural that resembles the character for ‘To Rise or Rising’. Chinatown wishes everyone a new year of rising together for businesses and community.
Community Events
Feb 2
Lunar New Year in the Excelsior
3:00pm-6:00pm 5000 Mission St, - Free family friendly event with lion dance, cultural storytelling, food, crafts and lots of fun!
Feb 3
Lunar New Year: A Taste of The Richmond
3:30pm-7:30pm The Richmond Neighborhood Center: Free vibrant family friendly festivities of the Lunar New Year at the heart of District 1!
Feb 3
Black History and Lunar New Year Celebration in the Bayview
11am – 2:30pm Bayview YMCA - Free community event with cultural performances, games, toys and groceries (while supplies last).
Feb 3
Lunar New Year: Celebration on Balboa
11am – 3pm 3595 Balboa St, SF - Free family-friendly event with lion dances, a LNY photo booth, engaging arts and crafts, and fantastic giveaways. Convenient parking is available at the Terra School.
Feb 3-4
Flower Market Fair
10am – 6pm Chinatown - 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.
Feb 3-4
Chinatown LNY Carnival
11AM - 3PM Chinatown - Family friendly event with Arts and Crafts, and Chinese calligraphy and more
Feb 8
USPS Stamp Dedication
11a.m. SF City Hall - Mayor London Breed will be joined by San Francisco Postmaster Doug Smith for a ceremonial unveiling of the Year of the Dragon commemorative stamp.
Feb 10
Chinese New Year Celebration & Choy Sun Doe
12:30pm – 2pm - Chinatown - Under the auspices of the SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Choy Suns will grace Chinatown and pass out thousands of “Lai Sees” to eagerly waiting children.
Feb 11
Sunset Lunar New Year Festival
9am – 2pm - Outer Sunset Farmers Market & Mercantile - Celebrate Lunar New Year with special activities, performances and arts & crafts!
Feb 11
SF Botanical Garden’s Lunar New Year Celebration
11am – 2pm - County Fair Building - 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.
Feb 11
Super Bowl LVIII
3:30pm - 49ers are going to Super Bowl LVII! Show them your love and support. Go Niners!
Feb 13
Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Communities as One
5:00 Main Library - Celebrate Black History Month and the Lunar New Year with music and performances. Hosted by the San Francisco Public Library and co-presented by the SF Human Rights Commission and APA Heritage Foundation, this event aims to bring the Black and Asian communities together to jointly celebrate.
Feb 16-18
CHSA: Year of the Dragon Weekend
11am – 4pm Chinese Historical Society of America - Free admission on Friday and Saturday with various events. Sunday paid admission includes CHSA customized Red Envelopes and fortune cookies. Year of the Dragon red envelopes are also available for sale.
Feb 17
Basketball Jamboree
10am – 4pm Chinatown - After 25 years, the Jamboree continues to draw student-athletes back to Chinatown with alumni lending their time as volunteers and provide support to the next generation of youth.
Feb 17
Visitacion Valley: Black History Month & Lunar New Year
11am – 3pm Hans Schiller Plaza / Greenway - Celebrate two cultures with Live Music, Food, and Performances at this free event. All Welcome
Feb 17
Lunar New Year on Ocean Ave.
12pm – 3pm Unity Plaza - The event will feature family friendly activities, community resources, local vendors, and multicultural performances. A complimentary lunch will be provided by participating local businesses on Ocean Avenue to the first 400 guests.
Feb 18
Richmond District Lunar New Year Celebration
10am Clement & 3rd Ave - Live Performance, Traditional Arts & Crafts, Fun Activities and More!
Feb 18
San Francisco Centre Celebration
2pm-3pm San Francisco Centre (Level 4) - Enjoy a captivating lion dance performance, live Chinese calligraphy, face painting, balloon-twisting, delicious boba drinks and finger foods.
Feb 21
SF City Hall Lunar New Year Celebration
5:30pm SF City Hall - SF Mayor London Breed and City officials host a community celebration of Lunar New Year. Free & open to the public.
Feb 22
Hapi Hour LNY Celebration
9pm Taste of Fusion Restaurant - Celebrate Dear Community’s 3 year anniversary & Lunar New Year with a night of drinks, mahjong and friends!
Feb 24-25
Community Street Fair
10am – 4:30pm Chinatown - The SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce has activities and entertainment for all ages. Enjoy Chinese folk dancing, opera, drumming and much more at the entertainment stage in the heart of San Francisco Chinatown.
Feb 24-25
Edge on the Square LNY Events
11am - 5pm 800 Grant Ave - Edge on the Square presents Lunar New Year activities: Lantern Collaging, Artisanal Candy Making, Zine Making Workshop, Artist Demo & Art Giveaway and more to celebrate the year of the Wood Dragon!
Feb 24
SF Library: Lunar New Year Extravaganza
1pm - 4pm SF Main Library - An unforgettable afternoon awaits as the exceptionally talented students of San Francisco High School of the Arts (HSArts) take center stage to usher in the Chinese New Year with a dazzling showcase of their immense talent and creativity.
Feb 24
Chinese New Year Parade
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Market Street - Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by International Festivals & Events Association, the Alaska Airlines Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated Parades in North America and the biggest parade celebrating the Lunar New Year outside of Asia.
Feb 29
Igniting the Dragon within: LNY Night Market
4:30 - 7:30pm Crunchyroll Office - Immerse yourself in a vibrant Night Market featuring foods, games, and celebration at the Crunchyroll HQ.
Mar 3
Chinatown YMCA Run/Walk
8AM - Chinatown - The Chinatown YMCA, in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown, is holding its 46th annual “Chinese New Year Run” in 2024.
Want to add your community event?
Publicity Partners can submit events to our online Celebration Guide. Please contact Grace Horikiri
Save the Date
AAPI Heritage Awards & Reception
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
5:30pm
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
Celebration Theme – Moving Forward Together,
Celebrating 20 Years of Uplifting & Connecting Generations
The AAPI Heritage Awards is a signature program of San Francisco’s celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Every year the AAPI Heritage Celebration Committee honors civic organizations that have achieved significant milestones in serving the community. Our event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
APA Heritage Foundation
The APA Heritage Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural heritage as well as to providing a forum for community collaborations. Every year, the Foundation coordinates resources to support San Francisco’s celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. In addition to the APA Heritage Awards and Reception, an annual signature event in the City, we also work with over 100 Publicity Partners to compile and cross promote the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration Guide, a list of events, activities, and educational resources for the month of May. Special thanks to our community representatives who volunteer on the APA Heritage Celebration Committee who make this all possible.
Special acknowledgement also goes to our AAPI Heritage Month Official Celebration Partners: the Asian Art Museum, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) and San Francisco Public Library.
Sponsors and Partners
2023
Your support of the APA Heritage Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, makes this celebration possible. To learn about 2024 sponsorship opportunities, please contact Claudine Cheng at Claudine@apasf.org
Heritage Champions
Heritage Captain
Heritage Partners
Heritage Friends
Community Sponsors
- Asian American Donors Program
- Asian Peace Officers Association
- Asian Firefighters Association
- Center for Asian American Media
- Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Francisco Lodge
- Chinese Chamber of Commerce
- Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
- Hep B Free Bay Area
- Japan Society of Northern California
- Japanese Chamber Commerce of Northern California
- Japantown Community Benefit District
- Nihonmachi Street Fair Inc.
- Northeast Medical Services
- OCA – SF Bay Chapter
- Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition
- Rose Pak Community Fund
- SF Community Health Center
- SF – Ho Chi Minh City Sister City Committee
- SF – Manila Sister City Committee
- SF – Osaka Sister City Association
- SF – Seoul Sister City Committee
- SF – Taipei Sister City Committee
- Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center
- USF Leo T McCarthy Center
Media Sponsors
Special Acknowledgements
MUNI ad sponsor
Hotel Partner
Winery Partner
Airline Partner
