The Annual Italian Heritage Parade is Back!
The 153rd Annual Italian Heritage Parade happened yesterday on October 10th, and we hope you were there! This was the first major parade in the San Francisco area since the pandemic has been present. The president of the parade, Bill Mastrangelo stated, “We’re happy to be back in person. With the guidance of the city and other agencies, we feel we can celebrate our Italian heritage safely in North Beach again. This event covers about a mile and a half. We have the ability to have the crowd spread out and distance.”
This parade began in 1869 and is the oldest continuously running Italian heritage parade in the United States. It was not until 1922 when the marching band, automobiles, and floats were added to this main event. Another 20 years later, a non-profit corporation with a board of directors was established.
The Italian Community Service partnered with La Scuola, the Italian Immersion School located in San Francisco, by walking with them in the parade to help drive awareness of their institution. This was the first time ICS has walked in the parade! La Scuola is a primary through 8th-grade institution that values providing students with academic and socio-emotional skills they will need to thrive. They were the first IB Italian Immersion School in San Francisco and the Italian Community Service is proud to be supporting them.
The Queen’s Court is one of the main focal points of the parade and took part in walking in the parade. Read more about who she is and what she stands for here.
The parade began at 12:30 p.m. starting at Jefferson and Powell Street in Fisherman’s Wharf and ended at Washington Square in front of Saint Peter and Paul Church.
The parade route is packed with some perfect spots for a quick bite or a unique view. There are various restaurants along the route to satisfy your taste buds. From Original Joes to Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, and Italian Homemade Company you can’t go wrong. Learn about some other tasty restaurants in North Beach here.