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Setting the stage for SF Mayoral Inauguration and Chinatown celebration
Crews were busy at Civic Center Plaza and Chinatown in San Francisco on Tuesday night preparing for the inauguration of Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie and the celebrations at night. KTVU goes behind the scenes for a preview.
San Francisco - A new mayor will take office in San Francisco on Wednesday.
Daniel Lurie will be inaugurated in a ceremony in front of city hall starting at 11:30 a.m.
Preparation
The backstory:
On Tuesday evening, there was a lot of preparation work at Civic Center Plaza and in Chinatown.
School children rehearsed on the stage that was recently built for the inauguration.
Charlotte Yee will be among the students introducing guest speakers.
The 11-year-old said she was feeling a little bit nervous and excited.
Crews placed protective covers on the 2,000 seats set up for ticketed guests.
Lurie said he will talk about public safety as a priority during his speech.
"I think public safety does need to be the priority. It cascades from there, cleanliness," said Rene Colorado, executive director of the Tenderloin Merchants Association.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Setting the stage for SF Mayoral Inauguration and Chinatown celebration
Crews were busy at Civic Center Plaza and Chinatown in San Francisco on Tuesday night preparing for the inauguration of Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie and the celebrations at night. KTVU goes behind the scenes for a preview.
There was a dress rehearsal on the eve of the inauguration.
Seventy high school students with Lion Dance Me, which trains people in this Chinese cultural art form, will perform a lion dance in front of Far East restaurant on Grant Avenue to greet the mayor as he arrives to attend the banquet inside.
"I'm really excited to see how he's going to affect us. You see everyone here. Look at how many people we have. We're all excited," said 16-year-old Ryan Lau who is a member of the lion dancing team.
First Mayoral Inauguration in Chinatown
Why you should care:
There is a sense of pride that Lurie will be the city's first mayor to celebrate on inauguration night in Chinatown.
"It will be a great royal welcome to the community. Because he's willing to have it in our community, we're going to use red and paint the town red and use all the red lions too," said Norma Lau, founder and instructor of Lion Dance Me.
About 100,000 firecrackers will be lit as a symbol of good luck before the mayor enters the restaurant.
Filipino community leader Lorenzo Listana was invited to attend the inauguration ceremony and the Chinatown banquet.
He said this celebration is about unity among all communities.
"As a community, it's important for us to unite to have one voice," Listana said.
Banners which read "Chinatown celebrates Mayor Daniel Lurie went up on Tuesday afternoon.
Along Grant Avenue, dozens of union workers set up a stage for the live performances that will be part of the Chinatown night market.
"For us, it means a great start to the new year in San Francisco: new beginnings and an auspicious moment for San Francisco," said Andrew Bennett, president of IATSE, Local 16.
Crews in Chinatown plan to continue setting up on the morning of the inauguration to make sure everything will be ready for the night market and the live performances it will offer.
Everyone is invited to attend the inauguration ceremony, but it's standing room only for those without a ticket.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU
The Source: KTVU reporting and information from Daniel Lurie's mayoral office.