Daniel Lurie will have a bustling first day as mayor of San Francisco.
Following the swearing-in ceremony Jan. 8 at City Hall, the inauguration festivities will continue in Chinatown with a special night market and outdoor concert, and Lurie will be feted at a banquet at the Far East Cafe, organized by Asian American community groups. The new mayor is expected to attend the banquet and deliver remarks.
The night market will be hosted by the inaugural committee, which has been raising funds from private donors since the election, and will feature around 20 vendors on two blocks of Grant Avenue, according to sources familiar with the plan. Unlike the Chinatown Night Market held the second Friday of each month, this special Wednesday event will include live music.
The banquet will be chaired by leaders of the nonprofit BeChinatown and early Lurie supporters Lily Lo and Mark Young. Community organizations such as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, API Council, and Chinese Hospital are hosting the event. All 80 tables, priced at $1,000 each, have sold out.
“This is honoring the Chinese American and AAPI community who played a pivotal role in getting him into office,” Young said.
Lurie’s campaign confirmed plans for the Chinatown celebrations, and more details are expected in the coming week.
Throughout his campaign, Lurie aggressively courted Asian American voters. He was the only candidate to open an office in Chinatown, despite the neighborhood’s limited electoral influence, and chose St. Mary’s Square as the place to declare victory. While Chinatown precincts favored Supervisor Aaron Peskin in November’s mayoral election, Lurie secured substantial Asian American support on the west side.
“Chinatown remains the cultural and political center for the Asian American community,” said Bill Lee, who served as city administrator under multiple mayors. “We chose Chinatown as the base because it’s the oldest in the United States.”
Lee, who has been active in local politics since serving under Dianne Feinstein when she was mayor, noted that Lurie is the first mayor to choose Chinatown for an inauguration-night celebration.
The inaugural committee’s fundraising details will be made public after the events, according to Lurie’s transition team. For context, Mayor London Breed wanted to raise approximately half a million dollars for her 2018 inauguration. Lurie’s fundraising goal is expected to be much higher.
Before the evening festivities, Lurie will be sworn in at 11:30 a.m. in front of City Hall, according to invitation and registration materials reviewed by The Standard.
The Chinatown party will feature plenty of events, but it may not be the biggest mayoral celebration the neighborhood has seen. In 2011, when Ed Lee was elected the city’s first Asian American mayor, three restaurants — Far East, New Asia, and Four Seas — co-hosted a massive banquet.
Lurie’s inauguration events coincide with an auspicious date, as the Chinese community views the number eight as good luck.
“Jan. 8, or 一月八 in Chinese, is symbolic of unity, new beginnings, and prosperity,” Young said in a statement. “It reflects our shared hopes for a brighter future for San Francisco.”