“Named one of the world’s top ten parades, Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is the largest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. Over 100 units will participate in the parade, many of the floats and specialty units will feature the theme of this year’s Chinese zodiac sign. Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar new year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, and exploding firecrackers. Some of the parade highlights include elaborately decorated floats, school marching bands, martial arts group, stilt walkers, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA and the Golden Dragon. The Golden Dragon is over 201 feet long and is always featured at the end of the parade as the grand finale and will be accompanied by over 600,000 firecrackers! The Golden Dragon was made in Foshan, a small town in China. The Foshan dragonmasters formerly made all the costumes for the Cantonese opera, and the Golden Dragon bears many operatic touches, such as the rainbow colored pompoms on its 6 foot-long head. It is festooned from nose to tail with colored lights, decorated with silver rivets on both scaly sides and trimmed in white rabbit fur. The dragon, made on a skeleton of bamboo and rattan, is in 29 segments. It takes a team of 100 men and women to carry the Golden Dragon. This is also considered an honor to be chosen for the grand finale. Rain or shine, come watch the parade!”

• WHERE: San Francisco Chinatown
• WHEN: Saturday, 2/11/12, 5:15-8pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE!!!
• MORE INFO: http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/chinesenewyearparade.html

“Become immersed in the sights and sounds of Chinatown. The Chinatown Community Street Fair takes place the weekend of the Chinese New Year Parade and is an opportunity for attendees to experience Chinese cutural arts such as latern and kite making, calligraphy, fine arts demonstrations, folk dance, and puppet shows. Traditional and modern entertainment perform on the main stage thoughout both days. Enjoy colorful folk dance from throughout Asia, acrobats, lion dancing, and magic demonstrations. Attendance at the two day fair is about 500,000. Come be a part of all the fun and magic as well as the incredible “Block of Fortune”"

• WHERE: Grant Avenue from Clay to Broadway
  Pacific Avenue from Kearny to Stockton
  Jackson Street from Kearny to Stockton
• WHEN: Saturday, 2/11/12, 10am-4:30pm
  Sunday, 2/12/12, 9am-5pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE
• MORE INFO: http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/communityfair.html

• WHERE: Asian Art Museum
  200 Larkin Street • San Francisco, CA 94102
• WHEN: Sunday, 2/5/12, 11am-4pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE!!!
• MORE INFO: http://www.asianart.org/family.htm#special

“Join us for this Asian celebration of change and the Year of the Dragon! Lion Dancers, Red Panda Acrobats, Martial Arts, Kids Arts & Zodiac Themed Crafts, Food, Inflatable Playland & More! FREE!

The San Mateo County Historical Museum program will include:

* Free Admission to the History Museum (All day) Children’s Crafts in the Rotunda will include activities such as a miniature dragon kites and lucky red envelopes,
* Listen to the Erhu – traditional Chinese version of the violin, performed by Ms. Mei Xuan, an Erhu virtuoso
* Short talk given by Mr. Nan Su, New Tang Dynasty TV (Channel 32) news commentator.
* Chinese Classical Arts presentation”

• WHERE: Courthouse Square
  2200 Broadway St. Redwood City, CA
• WHEN: Saturday, 2/4/12, 11am-4pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE!
• MORE INFO: http://www.redwoodcity.org/events/lunarnewyear.html

“The powerful dragon, the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, is associated with honesty, bravery, innovation, and ambition. Our popular family-friendly event takes a modern approach to traditional multicultural customs.

Welcome in the lucky Year of the Dragon and enjoy:

* Free admission all day
* Traditional Lion Dance by Rising Phoenix Lion Dance Association
* Dance performance by Sukyung Choi’s Korean Dance Academy
* Cultural crafts, hands-on activities, family fun, and more!”

• WHERE: San Jose Museum of Art
  110 South Market Street
  San Jose, CA 95113
• WHEN: Saturday, 2/4/12, 11am-5pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE!!!
• MORE INFO: http://www.sanjosemuseumofart.org/event/community-day-lunar-new-year-feb-4

“Join Oakland Asian Cultural Center as we celebrate the Year of the Dragon with cultural performances, arts & crafts for the kids and workshops for the whole family! This event is FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Make a Japanese Paper Doll, create a Year of the Dragon Mask, build a Korean kite and more! Your youth will get a fun, hands-on experience on how various Asian cultures celebrate and ring in the Lunar New Year!

A showcasing of Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s amazing students and teaching artists! Featuring cultural music, dance and martial arts of China, Japan, Philippines, India, Korea, Okinawa, and Mongolia!”

• WHERE: Oakland Asian Cultural Center
  388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA
  (2nd Floor of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza)
• WHEN: Saturday, 2/4/12, 11am-4:30pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE!
• MORE INFO: http://www.oacc.cc/programs/festivals-events/lunarnewyearfestival.html

“OMCA ‘s 11th annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Dragon features a full afternoon of celebration, festivities, performances, demonstrations, and workshops that include elements of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Tibetan, and other Asian cultures .

Treat the whole family to a fun, fortune-filled family event to welcome The Year of the Dragon. The celebration gets off to a roaring start with a lion dance. The day is filled with music and dance; performances by the Red Panda Acrobats and Cambodian rapper RJ Sin; magicians and Japanese mochi pounding; storytelling; Chinese-opera face painting; a demonstration of making a Tibetan prayer flag (and the chance to make one to take home); hands-on family activities; demonstrations of Asian cooking; a reading and book signing by Oliver Chin of his new book Year of the Dragon; and so much more. Plus a rousing end to the day with a Dragon dance!

Included with Museum admission. Free to OMCA Members.”

• WHERE: Oakland Museum of California
  1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607
• WHEN: Sunday, 1/29/12, 12pm-4:30pm
• HOW MUCH: Museum admission; see http://museumca.org/hours+and+pricing
• MORE INFO: http://museumca.org/calendar/omca-lunar-new-year-celebration-and-other-asian-traditions-year-dragon
  http://www.facebook.com/events/260658870655873/

“Looking for family-fun activities that everyone will enjoy for the Chinese New Year? Then check out Lunar New Year at the San Francisco Zoo on Sunday, January 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To commemorate the Year of the Dragon, Lunar New Year at the San Francisco Zoo features interactive, culturally-themed family entertainment for all ages. Come see Chinese acrobatic performances, traditional Lion and folk dancing, Chinese yo-yo tricks and more.

Zoo visitors can also take a self-guided Zodiac tour through the Zoo. This fun-filled scavenger hunt adventure will lead guests to the animals found on the Chinese calendar. Plus, everyone who completes the Zodiac tour will receive a lucky red envelope with a surprise inside.

The Zoo’s Chinese New Year festivities will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Zoo’s Event Tent. Activities and entertainment at the Zoo’s Chinese New Year celebration is free with paid admission. However, guests born in the Year of the Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012) will receive free Zoo admission to the event.”

• WHERE: San Francisco Zoo
• WHEN: Sunday, 1/29/12, 10am-3pm
• HOW MUCH: Zoo admission: See http://www.sfzoo.org/plan-hours-prices
• MORE INFO: http://www.sfzoo.org/announcements/lunarnewyearcelebration
  http://www.russianamericanschool.org/2/post/2012/1/lunar-new-year-celebration-at-sf-zoo.html

“This year’s Festival will feature vendors offering unique gifts and specialty items, food booths with various types of delectable items, amusement rides, and lots of live entertainment. The traditional Chinese New Year lion and dragon dancers along with firecrackers will kick-off the Festival Saturday morning. Various types of entertainment will be featured on both days. A large carnival fun zone will be featured in parking lots at the corner of Garvey and Lincoln Avenues.”

• WHERE: Monterey Park Downtown Business District
  Garvey Avenue (Between Garfield and Nicholson)
• WHEN: Saturday-Sunday, 1/28/12-1/29/12, 9:30am-5pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE admission
• MORE INFO: http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=817

“In celebrating over one hundred years of tradition, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles presents the 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. With over thousands and thousands of individuals lining the parade route and thousands viewing the telecast each year, this colorful celebration along North Broadway in Chinatown has become the premiere cultural event in the Southern California Asian-American Community.

​ Since the mid-1980’s, the Golden Dragon Parade has expanded to include almost two dozen floats, multiple marching bands, government officials, various dignitaries, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. The parade’s theme emphasizes ethnic diversity, Chinese Culture and exposure to Chinese-American businesses. The parade continues to be a rich and diverse experience for Angelenos of all ages and ethnicities.”

• WHERE: Parade Route: Hill Street at Temple toward Bernard. Right on Bernard, right on Broadway back to Broadway & Temple.
• WHEN: Saturday, 1/28/12, 1pm
• HOW MUCH: FREE to view from the street!
• MORE INFO: http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/index.html