MARYSVILLE, Calif. — The Bok Kai Parade is returning to Marysville, continuing a more than century long celebration.
"It’s the oldest continuous parade in California," Candice Young Fresquez said. "It’s survived many wars, the [Great] Depression, and they still had the parade continue.”
Thousands of people flood into the town of Marysville every year for the parade and "Bomb Day," a unique celebration that Young Fresquez says doesn't happen anywhere else.
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What is the Bok Kai Parade
The Bok Kai Parade and festival has roots dating back to the 1880s. Young Frezquez said the parade started with the Chinese immigrants who came to work on the railroads during the Gold Rush era.
At one point, Marysville had the third largest Chinatown in California. With the culture there, the community began celebrating the Bok Eye, a water deity meant to protect the town from floods and provide water to crops.
Over the years, the festival has retained its cultural elements, but it has also become a community event, bringing vendors, crafts, and music for festival goers.
“Outside of San Francisco, there isn’t a parade that continues in the same aspect of what Marysville has,” Young Fresquez said.
Things to do in Marysville during the Bok Kai Parade
There's food, crafts, and even a children's area during the Bok Kai Parade. However, the highlight of the festival is the parade.
The parade features "Hong Wan Lung," a 175-foot-long dragon manned by Beale Air Force Base. Over at 2nd and C Streets, you'll even be able to see the firecrackers go off and performances launch into action.
9:30 a.m. - Vendor and Children's area opens on 3rd Street and D Streets (Park area) and 1st and C Street (Parking Lot).
11 a.m. - Parade Starts at the corner of 6th and D Streets.
1:30 p.m. - Approximate ending time of the parade.
2:30 p.m. - Lion Dance blessings of downtown Marysville businesses.
3 p.m. - Approximate ending time of Vendor area at 3rd and D Streets.
4 p.m. - Lion Dance Performance at 113 C Street.
4 p.m. - Vendor area at 1st and C Streets closes.
Sunday also features a unique spectacle called "Bomb Day," during which a giant firecracker gets fired off into the middle of a roped off intersection. Men then search for a ring that is blown off the firecracker, which is meant to bring the man who finds it good fortune. Participation for the event is limited only to men of Chinese descent.
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When and where is it?
The 140th Bok Kai Parade kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 22 in downtown Marysville. The final day is Sunday, Feb. 23.
There are multiple locations for the events, but you'll find the parade starting at 6th and D Streets. The vendors are located at 3rd and D Streets and 1st and C Street, and the Lion Dance at 113 C Street.
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