Over 1 million people expected for SF Chinese New Year Parade

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Up to one million people are expected to flock to San Francisco on Saturday for one of the world's best-known celebrations: the annual Chinese New Year Parade.

It started in the 1860's by Chinese living here to educate the community about their culture.

It's rated one of the world's top 10 parades by the International Festivals and Events Association.

It's the Year of the Monkey will be celebrated in style, featuring over 20 floats, 100 marching units and over 600,000 firecrackers!

The star attraction will be the 270-foot long golden dragon, which will be carried by 100 martial artists.

Crews worked to put the finishing touches on floats Pier 54 and trying to protect them from the rain.

The parade route will be the same.

It all begins at 5:15 p.m. at Second and Market streets. It goes up Post, down Sutter and across Chinatown on Kearny. It ends at Columbus Avenue around 8 p.m.

There will be street closures and transit detours for the parade and on Sunday for the New Year Street Fair.