Eileen Gu, Olympic freestyle skiing gold medalist and San Francisco native, is set to light up the skies of the city's Chinese New Year Parade as its grand marshal this year. The athlete, currently training for the upcoming Olympics, shared her excitement about being part of the parade with ABC7 viewers. Growing up in San Francisco, Gu has fond memories of attending the annual celebration.
"It was a huge part of my childhood and I remember going every year," Gu said. "I'm so much looking forward to coming back to my roots and being a part of the Asian community in San Francisco."
The 2026 Chinese New Year Parade is scheduled to take place on March 7, with viewers able to watch it live on ABC News Live and Hulu via the ABC7 app.
Gu's appointment as grand marshal marks an exciting moment for the city's Asian-American community, who are eagerly anticipating the parade. With her international athletic accomplishments and local roots, Gu embodies the vibrant spirit of San Francisco's Chinese New Year celebrations.
The event promises to be a spectacular display of music, dance, and fireworks, with Gu's participation serving as a fitting tribute to the city's rich cultural heritage.
"It was a huge part of my childhood and I remember going every year," Gu said. "I'm so much looking forward to coming back to my roots and being a part of the Asian community in San Francisco."
The 2026 Chinese New Year Parade is scheduled to take place on March 7, with viewers able to watch it live on ABC News Live and Hulu via the ABC7 app.
Gu's appointment as grand marshal marks an exciting moment for the city's Asian-American community, who are eagerly anticipating the parade. With her international athletic accomplishments and local roots, Gu embodies the vibrant spirit of San Francisco's Chinese New Year celebrations.
The event promises to be a spectacular display of music, dance, and fireworks, with Gu's participation serving as a fitting tribute to the city's rich cultural heritage.
i've been low-key following her on insta for ages and she seems like such a down-to-earth person, super cool that she's giving back to her community in SF. i'm actually gonna try and watch the parade live this yr, hope it's as lit as everyone says! 
she's already an olympic gold medalist and now shes gonna light up the skies in SF's chinese new year parade 
its so awesome that she's coming back to her roots & bein part of the asian community in sf. i'm sure it'll be a huge hit! 
she's more than just an athlete, she's a bridge between cultures 
. it's dope that she's giving back to her community like this 
. but what's up with the parade being on march 7? shouldn't it be in january or feb for chinese new year 
?
. I love how she said being part of the parade means coming back to her roots – it's really special that she gets to share that with everyone else watching 
. The parade is going to be epic with music, dance, and fireworks 
! Can't wait to watch it live on TV 
and i'm loving how she's connecting with her roots in san francisco, it's all about representation and celebrating our diversity 
gotta tune in live on abc news live or hulu, don't miss it 
I think it's awesome that Eileen Gu is being honored as the grand marshal for the 2026 Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco! It's great to see her connect with her roots and share her passion with the community. Growing up in SF, she must have some amazing stories about the parade... 
I'm sure it'll be lit up by her presence 
. The city is gonna look stunning with all the colors and fireworks, and Eileen's participation will make it even more special. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the Asian-American community and their rich heritage 
I'm loving Eileen Gu being the grand marshal for the SF Chinese New Year Parade! She's an amazing athlete and it's awesome that she's giving back to her community like this