San Francisco cheers its native Chinese Olympian Eileen Gu, who headlines parade for the Year of the Fire Horse

San Francisco rang in the Year of the Fire Horse with its annual Chinese New Year parade Saturday evening, with thousands of revelers cheering on hometown hero and Olympic champion Eileen Gu as its grand marshal.

The procession featured drums, dancing and floats celebrating the vibrancy of the Chinese American community in the oldest celebration of its kind outside Asia and one of the largest.

Civic leaders and performers paraded from downtown to Chinatown through popping firecrackers.