San Francisco is getting ready for many parties and celebrations in the coming days. This comes as NBA All-Star Weekend and the Chinese New Year Parade are taking place this weekend.
Each year, the parade draws more than 100,000 people to the city and this year, that crowd is expected to be even bigger With the NBA All-Star Weekend in town at the same time.
With every staple and brush stroke, each of these 21 Chinese New Year Parade floats gets ready for their big reveal on Saturday night. The shop workers who put them together are looking forward to people's reactions.
"The energy level has, we can tell how much the energy level has been going up year after year,” said Christian Barraza, Parade Guys Shop Manager. “You know, three years ago we were getting some like 'oohs and ahs' Last year, we got some big energy, we even got some cheers, which had been missing for a little bit."
As with all floats from past years, there's plenty of sparkle and color this year too.
The artists and designers say this year's Chinese Zodiac Animal gives them a chance to play because of its unique expression in Chinese culture.
"I’m really excited about the year of the snake. It's been really fun to work with the personalities and the shapes and forms that the snake is able to take on,” said Stephanie Mufson, owner of the Parade Guys
In the Chinese zodiac, the snake represents the shedding of bad energy or habits. But work in the warehouse is not the only preps being done for the massive crowds expected in the city this weekend.
At Chase Center, streets are already blocked off and crews are setting up for the NBA All-Star game on Sunday.
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San Francisco resident Andrew Chu told NBC Bay Area that he's excited for the NBA action but isn't ready for everything else.
"So, it's going to be really hectic here," he said.
Chu said he'll stick to the area around Chase Center and try to avoid what he expects will be plenty of traffic across the city.
Preparations for NBA All Star Weekend are not just happening at Chase Center. At Pier 48, crews are setting up the stage for several music acts that will be here as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend.
At Moscone Center, crew are also setting up for the NBA's crossover fan experience that will be hosted there all weekend as well.
