This past Fall, the Parade committee convened to start work on the Chinese New Year festivities. But this time it was different. We had been discussing the 2021 celebration since May 2020. Relatively early in the pandemic, conversations were part hopeful and partly overwhelmed. This annual operation has run like clockwork for decades and the need to figure out an alternative to the celebration was looming over us. So on this fall day during what normally would be a lunch meeting in Chinatown, we all logged into Zoom to discuss what we should do.
Not having a celebration was never an option. The group continued to discuss and brainstorm ideas until we came upon the right one. In lieu of the spectacular floats that have glittered and glowed down Market street for decades, we had come up with the idea of doing a Parade Special. A mixture of new performances, a look back at past parades, and 3D digital floats animated to view all 360 degrees.
This year’s parade special will go down in parade history. A love letter to the city, the people, and the celebration. It reminded us of the good times and how much we miss and love the parade. We hope you take some time to enjoy!
For the Cantonese/Mandarin program please go to KTSF 26 (https://www.vuit.com/ktsf) to watch it on demand.
Thank you for celebrating with us as we welcome the Year of the Ox.