The largest Italian Heritage Parade the city has ever seen will march through Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach on Sunday, Oct. 12. And that’s saying a lot, considering it’s San Francisco’s oldest civic event, celebrating its 146th year, and the nation’s oldest Italian-American parade.  “This year is going to be the biggest parade we’ve had so far,” said Tony Passanisi, president of the nonprofit Columbus Day Celebration Committee. “We’ve had to stop taking entries.” Eighty-seven units – some containing hundreds of people – will march. It starts at 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. Parade viewing is available throughout the route. Passanisi wasn’t sure why this year attracted so many entrants, but guessed the good weather lately or the excitement surrounding the return of Fleet Week might be reasons. 

The parade will start with the SFPD’s Mounted Unit and end with the San Francisco Horsemen’s Association. In between will be handcrafted parade floats featuring Bay Area businesses, community groups, and Italian organizations; local high school Italian clubs and marching bands; special appearances by “Christopher Columbus” and Queen Isabella and Her Court; performances by a variety of traditional Italian musicians and performance artists; and special appearances by Bay Area and Italian-American celebrities. North Beach restaurants lining the parade route will offer open-air dining and Italian wine and food specials. Passanisi said parade day is the most lucrative day of the year for North Beach businesses. Passanisi himself is half Irish and half Italian; his grandfather was a Sicilian fisherman who immigrated to the U.S. in 1912. “I hate to drink and have no temper,” he joked. But his all-Italian wife’s family considers him the most Italian member of the family because of the work he does to preserve Italian heritage. “Things get lost; it doesn’t get passed on generation to generation,” Passanisi said, unless people work to preserve traditions. 

FAST FACTS

What: Italian Heritage Parade

Where: Starts at 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

When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12; parade usually lasts until about 3-3:15 p.m.

Cost: Free; some restaurants along the route are selling seats

Information: www.sfcolumbusday.org/parade