San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade

Our family had a fantastic time watching the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade!  Estimates put the size of the crowd at around a million spectators, which is amazing -- especially given the fact that the total population of San Francisco is estimated at around 825,000 people.

Students from many Bay Area elementary schools marched in the parade, dressed in costumes that ranged from traditional Chinese garments to horse costumes.  We were particularly impressed by the kids marching in the parade on stilts from San Francisco's West Portal Elementary.

The lion dancers and dragons were a huge hit with our son (and likely with hundreds of thousands of others).

Here are a few pictures from the parade.  The lighting was not ideal for our blogging camera, but hopefully you'll find the pictures fun anyway.

We were near the end of the parade route, in the bleachers in front of the Hilton and right below the pedestrian bridge.  In this first show, you can see the end of the parade route (which was lit with enormous lights for the television cameras).

Political figures driving by in vintage cars:

Marching band approaching:

 Firefighters' tiger dancing team, led by a vintage fire truck:

 Somewhat frightening giants:

Another marching band:

Supervisor Scott Weiner:

BART bus-float:

One of many dragons:

Photos of a few of the many floats:

A dragon:

Floats:

The enormous super-dragon (which ends the parade) approaches: