SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) --  Local organizations gear up for last-minute preparations for Saturday’s Lunar New Year parade this Saturday, which is expected to draw record crowds. For the special event, Muni announced free fares citywide, except for cable cars, on March 7. “We're going to have 72 d egrees by Saturday. So we are very excited. We're expecting a huge turnout,” said Chinese Chamber of Commerce CEO Donald Luu. The parade also coincides with the annual two-day Lunar New Year Community Fair. That is from Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to SFMTA's website. Girl group with millions of followers to do free meet and greet in Bay Area SF Lunar New Year Parade road closures The crowd is expected to cause major traffic as the annual event generates millions of visitors to San Francisco. Last year's event, which coincided with NBA All-Star Weekend, drew in approximately 3 million people to San Francisco. The parade will begin at Market and 2nd streets around 5:15 p.m. SFMTA announces road closures that will affect more than a dozen Muni routes, affecting the SoMa, Financial District, Civic Center and Chinatown neighborhoods. Road closures begin at 2 p.m. 2nd Street between Market and Mission Road closures beginning at 3 p.m. Market between 2nd St Geary Geary between Market and Powell Powell between Geary and Post Post between Kearny to Powell Kearny between Geary and Pacific Posters for unvaccinated dating community appear in San Francisco The Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) The following Muni routes will be affected: F Market Wharves California Cable Car Powell/Hyde Cable Car Powell /Mason Cable Car 1 California 2 Sutter 5 Fulton 7 Haight/Noriega 8 Bayshore 9 San Bruno 12 Folsom/Pacific 14 Mission 14R Mission Rapid 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express 30 Stockton 38 Geary 38R Geary Rapid 45 Union/Stockton For changes in Muni service, head to SFMTA's website for more information. After the parade is over and the streets are cleaned, the roads will reopen around 9:30 p.m., according to SFMTA. Preps for large crowd at parade Saturday’s parade will be led by this year’s grand marshal, Olympian and San Francisco native Eileen Gu, 20, who attended San Francisco University High School. This year's parade honors the Year of the Fire House, shedding the skin from 2025, the Year of the Snake, and galloping forward towards an even better 2026. “We are still from multiple challenges hardship over the last five years and with the energy the horse I really hope that Chinatown will be we'll take will move forward,” said Luu. Luu says 30-40% of business for Chinatown merchants comes from Lunar New Year festivities. Last month’s flower fair was an example of an influx of visitors with fewer vendors due to costs. Alysa Liu to be honored with ‘Welcome Home’ rally at Oakland City Hall “The cost of import goods has gone up so much, and the cost of doing business, labor, and everything, they just decided not to come at all. That's what happened,” said Luu. “So we lost more than ten vendors in this year, and we see we're going to see that trend continue.” Bleacher tickets for this year’s parade sold out weeks ago, indicating record crowds. San Francisco police will beef up patrols. For months, the department has been working with the sheriff’s office, event organizers, and the city, increasing its presence to prepare. “We have the sheriff’s department on patrol. We have extra police ambassadors in the area, along with foot patrols who have also been added to the extra patrols, as well to have at the event. Make sure people feel safe coming enjoying the events leading up to the parade and enjoying the parade as well,” said San Francisco Police Captain Christopher Del Gandio. ...read more read less