San Francisco will offer free two-hour parking in Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square Garage beginning Tuesday, Jan. 28 through February in celebration of Lunar New Year. Additionally, Muni fares will be free the weekend of the Chinese New Year Parade, Feb. 15–16.
This is the third time city officials announced free Chinatown parking and Muni fares to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which kicks off Wednesday with the Year of the Snake. Funding to support the free parking and transit fares will come from the city’s general reserve fund. Supervisor Connie Chan, who chairs the budget committee, requested $250,000 to support the effort.
“This will help support Chinatown’s small businesses and neighborhood vibrancy, encouraging more visitors to come shop and dine at Chinatown businesses, bringing prosperity for the new year,” Chan said in a statement.
The weekend of the largest Chinese New Year Parade outside of Asia will coincide with another major event in the city. The NBA All-Star weekend will take place from Feb. 14–16 at Chase Center, Moscone Center, and Pier 48. The parade takes place on Feb. 15.
Newly elected supervisors Chayanne Chen and Danny Sauter joined Chan in announcing the free parking and Muni fares.
“With the NBA All-Star game on that same weekend, we want to make sure that our friends here in San Francisco, but also from around the world, know that if you’re in San Francisco, you didn’t see San Francisco unless you came from Chinatown,” said Saunter, who represents Chinatown.
Jaynry Mak, president of the Portsmouth Plaza Parking Corporation, said parking is the busiest during the Lunar New Year for the 456-space garage, when it’s even more crowded than in the summer season. Mak added that Chinatown businesses had not yet recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.
As for the parade, the public can watch the live broadcast of the parade on ABC7 and its streaming platforms as well as on Hulu.
Parade organizers said the grand marshal for the parade is actress and director Joan Chen, who will light the ceremonial firecrackers. The ABC7 grand marshal is a choreographer, dancer, and judge on Dancing with the Stars, Carrie Ann Inaba. She will close the parade show by setting off fireworks. Mayor Daniel Lurie will serve as the honorary grand marshal.
