DoChinatown-North Beach

San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade

This parade, which celebrates Christopher Columbus and Italian heritage, attracts almost half a million spectators each year. The parade dates all the way back to 1869, making it the city's oldest civic event. Handmade floats run all the way from Fisherman's Wharf, and up Columbus Avenue as far as Vallejo Street, where the parade does a 180 finishing in Washington Square.

free

Getting there: all along Columbus Avenue
Hours: Starts at 12:30PM
Price: Free
Website: sfitalianheritage.org (opens in a new tab)

Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: San Francisco/Chinatown-North Beach, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 27 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

No exact location on record.

More in San Francisco

DoTheatreCivic Center-Tenderloin
The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
This four-story tall, "Beaux-Arts" style building occupies an entire city block in the heart of the Civic Center and has 7,000 seats inside. Large and small bands, exhibits, concerts, and galas are all hosted at the Civic Auditorium. Check Ticketmaster to see what's playing.
The auditorium is not open to visitors or for tours, but only during event times which vary · Price varies depending on act · Wheelchair accessible
DoTheatreCivic Center-Tenderloin
Great American Music Hall
Reputed to be the city's oldest nightclub, this ornate 600 capacity music venue presents hip music acts, some well-known among the cognoscenti, some so cutting edge that there's blood on the pavement. In the 1930s, this was fan-dancer Sally Rand's "Music Box." The interior, which was designed by a French architect, is known for its ornate balconies and columns.
Shows: hours vary; Box office: Mon-Fri 10:30AM-6PM, show nights 10:30AM-9PM, closed Sat-Sun (except during shows - opens 1 hour before show time) · Ticket prices vary by act but typically run from $10-30 · Limited wheelchair access
DoParkGolden Gate
Marina Green
Marina Green is a long, flat strip of grass at the front of the Marina that runs along the Bay, equidistant between the Presidio and Fort Mason. The "Green" teems with joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, kite flyers, volleyball players, frisbee throwers, and rollerbladers — all getting their health kick exercising in an iconic location. The activities continue all the way through Crissy Fields ("The City's Front Yard") to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge where you will find surfers patiently waiting for that next "big one."
DoCinemaMission
Roxie Cinema
An independent art-film theater, with some of the best features shown in the country. If it's showing here, it's usually worth seeing.
Wheelchair accessible