San Francisco’s world-renowned Chinese New Year Parade has been officially canceled for 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organizers announced Sunday.
The parade, organized by the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce since 1958, says the celebration is traditionally one of the biggest Lunar New Year parades outside of Asia. Hundreds of thousands of people descend on downtown San Francisco each year to see the floats, performers and firecrackers explode to ward off evil spirits.
The parade, the culmination of a two-week Lunar New Year celebration, has been rolling through The City since the 1860s as way to to share Chinese culture with others.
KTVU began broadcasting the event in 1987, bringing the festivities to people inside the comfort of their own homes.
The chamber said in a statement:
“While we are very hopeful for positive changes in the coming year, we must deal with our current conditions and recognize that plans for everyone’s safety in the future is our most important responsibility.”
Instead, the chamber said they are focusing on a special broadcast to air Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.
Organizers said they are working on ways “reimagine” celebrating the Year of the Ox:
“For the first time, we will be displaying a few of our colorful and culturally decorated floats to provide the public a rare opportunity to view these beautiful creations up close.”
Additionally, life-sized oxen statues will be displayed around The City prior to the special broadcast.
In normal years, several activities and events occur before the parade, including the Flower Market, the Miss Chinatown U.S.A Pageant and a community fair. Most festivities are centered in the heart of Chinatown.
Chamber officials said the public can follow the social media handle @chineseparade on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information about the special broadcast and pre-show event.
The chamber said:
“Like an Ox, with fortitude and hard work, together we will build a bright and resilient 2021.”
Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.
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god, the bare minimum that someone who broke the law and killed an innocent person could do is as least have the decency to fade into obscurity and stop using their crime and someone else’s tragedy for attention.
god, the bare minimum that someone who broke the law and killed an innocent person could do is as least have the decency to fade into obscurity and stop using their crime and someone else’s tragedy for attention.