The 2026 Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco was many things. It was festive, loud, colorful, and richly rooted in tradition. This year’s parade celebrated the rare ‘Year of the Fire Horse,’ a symbol of transformation, passion, and bold creativity. So, the San Francisco Flower Market (SFFM), a 114-year legacy institution at the heart of Northern California’s floral industry, brought that symbolism to life through flowers.
A team of floral designers took on the task of creating 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, red and yellow orchids, Forsythia, and Gladiolus – the golden laurel elements inspired by the ancient Olympic Games in Greece.
The Fire Horse, General Marshall's Mustang, and Flowers
The Year of the Fire Horse does not come around often. In Chinese astrology, it is associated with passion, creativity, and courageous energy. It was the perfect backdrop for a parade featuring Eileen Gu, the San Francisco-born freestyle skier.
Eileen captured gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics as Grand Marshal. So the floral installation was in her honor, but also celebrating 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.
Floral designer Raul Dueñas of the SFFM adorned Eileen’s car with the design, drawing from two worlds. The warm red and golden roses sat alongside dramatic red and yellow orchids, Forsythia, and Gladiolus, with the latter, in particular, carrying a symbolic sign: its tall, stately form embodying the golden laurels of ancient Greece.
Raul noted:
“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. It is an honor to celebrate Eileen Gu, this year’s parade Grand Marshal.”
Flowers, he added, have always been a powerful way to express culture, pride, and celebration. And this time, they did precisely that.
A Market With Deep Roots in San Francisco’s Story
For more than a century, the San Francisco Flower Market has functioned 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.
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.
The Chinese New Year Parade, therefore, held special meaning in that context. It is the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of China, and presents the perfect moment to showcase how flowers bring people together, according to Jeanne Taggart Boes, the Executive Director of the SF Flower Market, Inc. Taking part in the parade is, therefore, a lot more than just good publicity.
A New Chapter for a Legacy Institution
In 2025, the San Francisco Flower Market established SF Flower Market, Inc., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sustaining the floral industry and supporting flower agriculture throughout Northern California. At the same time, it relocated to a brand-new 120,000-square-foot facility at 901 16th Street in San Francisco's Lower Potrero Hill neighborhood.
The move was noteworthy, since it ensured the continued presence of a wholesale flower market within San Francisco city limits at a time when such markets are increasingly rare. The new space strengthens the connection between the city and the agricultural regions that supply it, giving growers, wholesalers, designers, and retailers a common home base.
Jeanne explains:
“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 combination of heritage and forward momentum forms the basis of what the market is doing, not just trying to preserve it, but making sure the industry continues to thrive for the next century and beyond, just as it has for the last one.
