. >> last minute preparations are underway for the past several weeks, stephanie mufson and her team have been hard at work making the floats for the city's chinese new year parade. >> we start our design process in like october or november, and then fabrication starts in december, and then we really get crank in. >> this year is the year of the dragon, the most important animal in the chinese zodiac calendar, a fact that mufson says has inspired her to make this year's floats. some of the most intricate ever done people come from all over to see this parade, which is the largest of its kind anywhere in the world outside of asia. this year, spectators will get a chance to see 19 different floats before the parade. hundreds gathered friday night for the annual miss chinatown usa pageant, an event that draws contestants from around the country inspires young women of the next generation to really empower them to come back and give back to their community, especially here in san francisco. >> chinatown. the pageant isn't the only thing drawing in visitors, though. >> tony lao is the vic

the most important animal in the chinese zodiac calendar, a fact that mufson says has inspired her to make this year's floats some of the most intricate ever done. people come from all over to see this parade, which is the largest of its kind anywhere in the world outside of asia. this year, spectators will get a chance to see 19 different floats before the parade. hundreds gather at friday night for the annual miss chinatown usa pageant, an event that draws contestants from around the country inspires young women of the next generation to really empower them to come back and give back to their community, especially here in san francisco. >> chinatown. >> the pageant isn't the only thing drawing in visitors, though. tony lao is the vice president of the chinese chamber of commerce. he says they expect over 1 million people to come out for the weekend's festivities. >> my understanding is that most of the hotels here are fully booked already. we have a lot of people here, a lot of tourists here definitely is going to help us with their business in chinatown and in downtown, lao tells m

the most important animal in the chinese zodiac calendar, a fact that mufson says has inspired her to make this year's floats some of the most intricate ever done people come from all over to see this parade, which is the largest of its kind anywhere in the world outside of asia. this year, spectators will get a chance to see 19 different floats before the parade. hundreds gather at friday night for the annual miss chinatown usa pageant, an event that draws contestants from around the country inspires young women of the next generation to really empower them to come back and give back to their community, especially here in san francisco. >> chinatown. >> the pageant isn't the only thing drawing in visitors, though. tony lao is the vice president of the chinese chamber of commerce. he says they expect over 1 million people to come out for the weekend's festivities. >> my understanding is that most of the hotels here are fully booked already. we have a lot of people here, a lot of tourists here definitely is going to help us with their business in chinatown and in downtown, lao tells me

tied to float director stephanie mufson of the parade guys and her talented team of artists. it's a labor of love. what i take very seriously is the importance of celebrating , and i take very seriously the importance of like ritual and tradition. >> it's something that actually means a lot to a lot of people, and that means a lot to me. knowing that what we're doing actually has so much meaning for so many people is really what makes this all worth it. >> historians say that parades with floats date back to the 13th century. middle ages, when churches used movable wagons to carry different sceneries for pageants, especially easter passion plays. floats are called floats. since the very first floats were on barges on london's river thames about 700 years ago to mark the yearly appointment of a new lord mayor for artists here on pier 54. this most public of displays is actually very personal to my late grandmother was you're the dragon. >> uh, so this year is very special to me. also. and i'm like fourth generation san franciscan. my grandfather grew up in chinatown town, so,

. >> stephanie mufson designed many of the floats, and with the help of a crew, built 18 of the 19 that will be featured in the parade, dragons with different looks and feel. >> behind me, of course, is my favorite. our disco dragon. i'm really, really enamored with him . >> nine contestants competed in the miss chinatown usa pageant held at the hilton hotel, union square, on the eve of the parade. they come from all over the united states, including hawaii, texas, and illinois. the pageant coordinator was herself a contestant and titleholder ten years ago. >> it's really about what beyond looks. it's about how they speak, how they represent their city specific city or country. >> ashlyn suey, last year's miss chinatown usa, has this advice for young women if you know what your passion is, put everything you can into it and we have number five. >> don't be afraid to be fearless at sunset, the production crew tested the lights set up at union square for ktvu live broadcast of the parade. >> our station has been bringing this historic event into viewers homes for more than 35 years. there

. >> stephanie mufson designed many of the floats, and with the help of a crew, built 18 of the 19 thatl be featured in the parade. dragons with different looks and feel behind me, of course, is my favorite, our disco dragon. >> i'm really, really enamored with him dying contestants competed in the miss chinatown usa pageant held at the hilton hotel, union square, on the eve of the parade. >> they come from all over the united states, including hawaii, texas, and illinois. the pageant coordinator was herself a contestant and titleholder ten years ago. it's really about beyond. looks. >> it's about how how they speak, how they represent their city specific city or country. >> ashlyn suey, last year's miss chinatown usa, has this advice for young women if you know what your passion is, put everything you can into it and we have number five. >> don't be afraid to be fearless. >> at sunset, the production crew tested the lights set up at union square for ktvu live broadcast of the parade. our station has been bringing this historic event into viewers homes for more than 35 years. >> there's

attending it, as well as those watching it on air or online worldwide to float, director stephanie mufsonparade guys and her talented team of artists. it's a labor of love, of what i take very seriously is the importance of celebration, and i take very seriously the importance of ritual and tradition. >> it's something that actually means a lot to a lot of people, and that means a lot to me. knowing that what we're doing actually has so much meaning for so many people is really what makes this all all worth it. >> historians say that parades with floats date back to the 13th century. middle ages, when churches used movable wagons to carry different sceneries for pageants, especially easter passion plays. floats are called floats. since the very first floats were on barges on london's river thames about 700 years ago to mark the yearly appointment of a new lord mayor for artists here on pier 54. this most public of displays is actually very personal. my late grandmother was you're the dragon. >> and, uh, so this year is very special to me also. and i'm like fourth generation san franciscan

to float director stephanie mufson of the parade guys and her talented team of artists, it's a labor of love. >> what i take very seriously is the importance of celebration, and i take very seriously the importance of ritual and to tradition. it's something that actually means a lot to a lot of people. and that means a lot to me. knowing that what we're doing actually has so much meaning for so many people is really what makes this all worth it. >> historians say that parades with floats date back to the 13th century. middle ages, when churches used movable wagons to carry different sceneries for pageants, especially easter passion plays. floats are called floats. since the very first floats were on barges on london's river thames about 700 years ago to mark the yearly appointment of a new lord mayor. for artists here on pier 54, this most public of displays is actually very personal. my late grandmother was year of the dragon, and so this year is very special to me also. >> and i'm like fourth generation san franciscan. and my grandfather grew up in chinatown. so i'm very excited to