This event is the city’s oldest civic event and the nation’s oldest Italian-American parade and community celebration.  The parade takes place Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend. This year marks San Francisco’s 143rd Italian Heritage Parade, featuring Italian-American dignitaries, music, performances, floats and commerce. 2011 also marks the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy as a country and we join in celebrating this landmark event in Italian history.

Formerly known as Columbus Day, San Francisco’s Italian Heritage Parade in North Beach is a tribute to the famous Italian explorer’s “discovery” of the New World. The parade includes colourful floats and marching bands.

A variety of events lead up to the parade, which was originally a small parish celebration. Services are still held at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The parade begins at Fisherman’s Wharf and continues south through the Italian North Beach District on Columbus Avenue to end up at Washington Square Park for a festivale celebrating all things Italian.

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

The Parade action begins at 12:30 pm at the foot of Jefferson and Stockton Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf, proceeds south through North Beach on Columbus Avenue, and ends in Washington Square in front of Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

For further information, visit:

http://sfcolumbusday.org/index.html