We're here to help you celebrate NBA All-Star festivities this weekend. Huge crowds are expected at Chase Center.
The eyes of the world will be on San Francisco in the next few days as the city gets ready to host two incredible events. One, the city’s annual Chinese New Year Parade, is an event that San Francisco looks forward to every year. The other, the NBA’s 74th All-Star Game, will bring basketball fans from all over the world to the City by the Bay.
The last time the city hosted the All-Star Game was in 1967, in the Cow Palace. This year, it will be at the Warriors’ home, the Chase Center. But the game on Sunday, Feb. 16 is only part of the equation. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend several events over the course of All-Star festivities, which kick off on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Weekend events bringing thousands to the city
Events include the “All-Star Alley” on Powell Street, which will feature NBA and basketball-themed pop-up stores. There’s also the NBA Crossover Fan Experience at the Moscone Center. Plus, there will be concerts at Pier 48 and other events. The SFMTA is getting involved, too. Our Cable Car Division is working with the NBA on two specially decorated cars.
Meanwhile, the city also is gearing up to hail the Year of the Snake during the Chinese New Year Parade. It’s among the largest Lunar New Year celebrations and the oldest outside of Asia. The parade was originally conceived as a way to showcase the contributions of San Francisco’s Chinese community in the 1860s. From there, it has grown into a citywide celebration of the Lunar New Year.
We're joining residents and visitors to celebrate the Year of the Snake at this year’s Chinese New Year Parade.
More than 200,000 people lined the parade route last year and took part in the Chinese New Year Community Street Fair in Chinatown.
Potentially half a million people are expected to attend both festivities. That’s why these events take an enormous amount of planning and logistical support to pull off. The parade itself will require dozens of Muni reroutes. Our parking control officers will be working to keep traffic moving and help direct cars away from the crowds.
Managing complex events year-round
This is nothing new for SFMTA staff. Last year, we supported more than 600 events throughout the city. These events ranged from neighborhood street fairs to citywide events like the Bay to Breakers race. That event alone required dozens of street closures. This was in addition to all the work our parking control officers do during sporting events. Our teams are always there to direct traffic before and after basketball and baseball games and special events at the Chase Center and at Oracle Park.
So, although this week is nothing new for our staff, there is a key difference. Thanks to the NBA All-Star Game, the eyes of the world will be on San Francisco, on millions of screens around the world. We should all be proud of our roles in helping our city shine and take pride in the fact that we know we will deliver.