10 tips to enjoy the San Francisco Chinese Parade with your children

We went to the Chinese New Year Parade last year and had a fantastic time. When it is not raining, it is a very enjoyable experience with lots of colors, dragons, animations, firecrackers, and happy people. We went one year and it rained on the parade but it did not take much from the magic: it was still wonderful.

The Chinese Parade will unroll from Market and Second Street to Kearny and Jackson starting at 5:15 pm and going on till 8:00 pm. Read all the information on the parade on my San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade post.

 

Here are my 10 Ten Tips to enjoy the Chinese Parade with your kids

Tip 1

Make it an afternoon in the city, arrive early and just enjoy long walks in Chinatown. Visit the Golden Gate cookie factory along the way! It is located down the oldest alley in San Francisco: Ross Alley at number 56. While you are there, grab a bag or two of fortune cookies for snacks. It is a hole in the wall, you will be done in 5 minutes but I am sure the kids and you will love that little place.

Tip 2

Do not arrive after 4:45 pm. You do not want to rush and you want to be first in line, especially with children. We try to arrive one hour before the parade starts.

Tip 3

Forget the car and take the Bart if you can. It will make your life much more easier when it is time to leave. The parade takes place in downtown San Francisco so all that area will be packed!

Tip 4

Print the Parade route: click here to see it. You will also find information about public transportation and nearby parking garages. The Parade organizers warn that the Chinatown area is the most crowded one.

Tip 5

Be prepared for cold weather: dress warm, good shoes, umbrellas (the parade will not be cancelled if it rains). Let your kids know that if it rains a lot, you may decide to postpone viewing the parade another year.

Tip 6

Bring food and drinks. You do not want to have kids waiting on an empty stomach (reread tip 1 if you forgot to bring snacks).

Tip 7
Do not forget to bring toys to keep kids entertained before the parade starts.

Tip 8

Prepare your children for what they are going to see and hear: firecrackers, lions dancing, and dragons can be very impressive for children. Tell them the meaning of each one:
Dragon is the symbol of the courage and prosperity. It is made of the eyes of the rabbit, ears of a cow, antlers of a deer, mouth of a camel, whiskers of a catfish, body of a serpent, paws of the tiger, talons of an eagle, and scales of a carp.
Guess who is under the dragon??? Spy each part of the dragon

Firecrackers: they keep the evil away

Lion dance: they bring joy and happiness. Two persons form the lion: one for the head, the other one for the rear. They will be dancing all along the parade so look for them!

Tip 9

You do not have to stay and watch the whole parade, when everybody is done, just pack and go. It is a very long parade so it is normal if your little ones become antsy. Better leave before nerves break down and bring home happy memories.

Tip 10

Bring your camera and your camcorder and be prepared to be dazzled.

For more information, the parade official website:

www.chineseparade.com

Family Travel
San Francisco