The 2026 Chinese New Year Parade celebrates the rare "Year of the Fire Horse," a symbol of transformation, passion, and bold creativity. The San Francisco Flower Market (SFFM), a 114-year legacy institution at the center of Northern California's floral industry, brought that symbolism to life through flowers.
© San Francisco Flower Market
Floral designer working with San Francisco Flower Market created a striking installation adorning the red Mustang carrying Grand Marshal and San Francisco Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu. The design featured vibrant red and golden roses, dramatic red and yellow orchids, forsythia, and gladiolus —the golden laurel elements inspired by the ancient Olympic games in Greece.
The floral installation celebrated the artistry of the floral industry, and the role flowers play in cultural traditions around the world—from Lunar New Year celebrations to community festivals across San Francisco.
"It is an honor to celebrate Eileen Gu, this year's parade Grand Marshal," said SFFM floral designer Raul Dueñas. "Flowers have always been a powerful way to express culture, pride, and celebration. Designing for a moving vehicle instead of a float was a challenge, but the Fire Horse Mustang was meant to feel bold and alive—just like the spirit of the Year of the Fire Horse."
For more than a century, the San Francisco Flower Market has served as the primary hub connecting flower farms with wholesalers, florists, designers, and event professionals throughout Northern California. Founded in 1912 by immigrant flower growers and merchants, the market reflects the diverse communities that built San Francisco's floral industry.
© San Francisco Flower Market
Today, the market remains one of the last wholesale flower markets in the United States, supplying flowers used in celebrations, events, and retail shops across the region. It also maintains deep ties to San Francisco's Chinatown and immigrant communities, where flowers are an essential part of Lunar New Year traditions and family celebrations.
In 2025, the market entered a new chapter with the establishment of SF Flower Market, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining the floral industry and supporting floral agriculture throughout Northern California.
"The Chinese New Year Parade is the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of China, and it is the perfect moment to showcase how flowers bring people together," said Jeanne Taggart Boes, Executive Director of the SF Flower Market, Inc. "Our nonprofit was created to ensure the long-term future of the wholesale flower market while supporting the farmers, small businesses, and creative professionals who make up our floral community."
The San Francisco Flower Market relocated in January 2025 to a new 120,000-square-foot facility at 901 16th Street in Lower Potrero Hill, ensuring the continued presence of a wholesale flower market within San Francisco city limits and strengthening the connection between the city and the agricultural regions that supply it.
Through partnerships with growers, wholesalers, designers, and educators, the San Francisco Flower Market continues its mission of bringing the beauty and benefits of flowers to consumers while supporting the regional floral agricultural economy.
For more information:
San Francisco Flower Market 
[email protected]
https://sfflowermarket.org/
