By Audrey Jonas

On Saturday, Feb. 7, The Richmond Neighborhood Center (TRNC) celebrated its second annual Lunar New Year Night Market. More than 5,000 neighbors gathered to join the vibrant celebration, which stretched along Balboa Street between 35th and 40th avenues.

The five-and-a-half-hour event included two parades, more than 70 vendor booths, traditional Chinese activities and a Half-Time Show of dance and musical performances. Community-based organizations (CBOs) and schools were invited to welcome the Year of the Horse by sharing in the festivities with their neighbors, including many families. The origins of the holiday, which date back to around the 14th century B.C., are rooted in welcoming the end of winter and honoring ancestors with rest and celebration.

The afternoon began with a high-spirited parade where more than 30 groups participated, including West Coast Lion Dance, Shaolin Temple, several elementary schools and more. Leading the parade was special guest Zhou Bao Bao, or “Hanfu Lady,” who acted as the grand marshal. She has attracted attention all across China for her dedication to reviving traditional Chinese clothing and has become a significant influencer on Douyin. a Chinese social media platform, where she has millions of followers. Shaolin Temple performers of all ages followed, demonstrating their kung fu skills in uniform, guided by their instructor blowing a whistle as they shouted in unison.

The San Francisco Public Library’s “Bookmobile,” a truck transformed into a mini library, was one of the most popular attractions throughout the afternoon. Parents read to their kids inside and Chinese fortune sticks, an ancient prophetic practice, were provided at the front of the bus.

“This event is important because it gets family and everyone out and into the neighborhood,” said Michael and Sue, who were supervising the Bookmobile. “Since there are a lot of small businesses around, it encourages people to find out about them and get out and congregate. And maybe some families don’t celebrate this, so it gives them a chance to discover new traditions.”

Many more children’s organizations, like the Asian Family Support Center, contrasted with several Senior Centers and resources for senior citizens, such as On Lok and Self-Help for the Elderly. The dichotomy of intended audiences reflected TRNC’s diverse outreach and community representation. The Richmond Senior Center even provided mahjong tables next to their booth.

Local businesses used the event as an opportunity to sell their products and get to know their community memebers. Sarah Li, staff member of TRNC, made use of her extensive relationships with neighborhood stakeholders and recruited a large variety of vendors, including first timers like Lille Skaler Ceramic Watercolors and Little Moon Bakery.

“It’s awesome,” said Mathilda Silverstein, whose booth exhibited her art prints. “How often do you see this neck of the woods so packed? It’s like a block party.”

As evening fell, the Half-Time Show continued from the late afternoon on a mini stage positioned on 37th Avenue. The show featured more than 40 performances by children’s dance organizations, independent musicians and more. Colorful lights illuminated the performers as parents and friends cheered them on, recording them with their cameras. True to its name being “Glow All Night,” the second parade lit up the street with members of CBOs holding handmade sparkling lanterns while locals wore twinkling light-up crowns. The dragon dancers of West Coast Lion Dance group adorned their costumes with flashing lights.

The Horse, symbolizing forward progress, endurance and success, was pictured in a variety of ways, including as an inflatable decoration, printed on signs or seen on a children’s book titled “Year of the Horse: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.”

“We do a book series with one book for every new year, so it makes sense that we’re here,” said Oliver Chin, a writer for Immedium, an independent publisher of multicultural children’s books. “There are definitely a lot of families here. We’ve participated in other fairs hosted by the Neighborhood Center, like the Moon Festival.

“The Bay Area celebrates Lunar New Year much more than other places in America; clearly because of the Asian American population here, people have a greater appreciation for the Asian American community,” Chin continued. “This is a great opportunity to share that and build a stronger sense of community in a time when we desperately need it.”