The news wasn’t all bad coming out of Oakland this weekend, as the 14th annual Oakland Pride brought a parade, concerts, dance pavilions, and tens of thousands of people to show Oakland being “Rooted in Pride.”

While San Francisco holds its giant annual SF Pride Weekend festivities at the end of the Pride Month of June, other Bay Area locales do their own Pride Weekends at different points in the summer. Down in San Jose, Silicon Valley Pride is generally the last weekend of August. And over in the East Bay, Oakland Pride was this past weekend, in the part of downtown Oakland between Uptown and Lake Merritt.

KPIX estimated 50,000 people would attend, and KGO’s pictures from Oakland Pride indicate they did indeed draw that many to the street party whose theme was “Rooted in Pride.”

You can watch the Oakland Pride 2024 parade above as it was broadcast on KGO. The Chronicle notes the parade lasted an hour (far more efficient than the SF Pride Parade!). But like  SF Pride, the parade’s first contingent was Dykes on Bikes. The Chronicle adds they were “followed by about 80 contingents, including community organizations, school groups, marching bands, political clubs, city leaders, drag queens and everyday folks, many parading their pets.”

For the city of Oakland, this was a welcome antidote to the chaotic sideshows and fatal shootings that marred the weekend. And unsurprisingly, there were plenty of politicians showing up at Oakland Pride hoping to capitalize on the good vibes.

"In a period where there is so much acrimony, this celebration is bringing together diverse communities,” Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife told KGO. “This is something Oakland needs, and it's beautiful.”

Main Stage acts featured Chicago-based rapper Da Brat, hip-hop artists the Conscious Daughters, and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. There was also a Latin Stage with Mexican vocalist Wendy Guevara and Puerto Rican drag queen Jessica Wild, plus a Community Stage with the more family-friendly stuff.

This was the 14th annual Oakland Pride, as the Oakland version was established in 2010.  

Related: Reminder: Oakland Pride Is This Weekend, With Deborah Cox and Block Parties Starting Friday Night [SFist]

Image: @kpnorcal via Twitter

District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio is announcing plans to bring a Fourth of July parade to SF this year. Predictably, it’s in his district, but unpredictably, it’s five days before July 4, and overlapping with Pride Weekend.

San Francisco of course has a (famously foggy) fireworks show every year for the Fourth of July, but we have not had a proper July 4 parade in this town since way back in 1976. That will apparently change this year, as KGO reports that District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio and the community group Friends of Great Highway Park are planning to revive a July 4 parade in SF this year.

As you would figure, since it’s being planned by Engardio and a Friends of Great Highway Park, this Fourth of July parade will be in District 4 and on the Great Highway. But counterintuitively, this Fourth of July parade would not be on the Fourth of July, but instead five days beforehand, on Saturday June 29.

KGO frames this as an “effort to bring Fourth of July parade back to San Francisco,” but it appears to already be a done deal. Friends of Great Highway Park, a relatively new and seemingly nonpolitical community organization, has already posted the event on their website. The Great Highway is of course car-free on weekends, so road closures would not be necessary.

They’re calling it Independence Day Parade & Picnic, and it’s scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm on the Saturday before Independence Day.

"Our Fourth of July parade is on June 29 because it's a weekend and we want everyone to show up," Engardio told KGO. "It's new. You might have plans already for the Fourth, so this means you have no excuse, so come out and do July 4 on June 29."

“No excuse”? That also happens to be the Saturday of Pride Weekend, which the openly gay Engardio surely knows. Though the big Pride event on Saturday is the Dyke March (now that Pink Saturday is defunct), and there is also a D'Arcy Drollinger-hosted Oasis event that day at Civic Center Plaza called SF Pride Celebration Saturday, which is listed among the official Pride events. But notably, the Dyke March is not particularly family-friendly, and a D'Arcy Drollinger/Oasis event might not be either, so maybe Engardio feels he’s not stepping on anyone's toes.

"We're doing an early parade at noon that will be done by 1pm, so there's still plenty of time to attend Pride events later in the day," Engardio told SFist via email. "We scheduled the parade on Saturday to avoid any conflict with the Pride parade on Sunday, which I will be in with my husband. Hopefully next year we can do the Fourth of July parade on July 4."

"For the first one this year, we felt the Saturday before July 4 would turn out the most people in case they already had plans for the actual holiday," he added. "I'm confident it will be so much fun that people will make the Great Highway Fourth of July parade their must-attend on July 4 next year!"

This Independence Day Parade & Picnic is deliberately family-friendly, much in line with other Friends of Great Highway Park events, which generally promote the ethos of a car-free Great Highway and activities for kids.

Friends of Great Highway Park describe the event as a “Lively parade showcasing our community's creativity and spirit - feel free to decorate your bikes, wagons, and strollers and join the fun!” The parade will also feature music, performers, games, and, per their website, “Free apple pie!”

Note: This post has been updated with comments from Supervisor Joel Engardio.

Related: Sutro Tower Will Have Red, White and Blue Lasers Shooting Through It This Week [SFist]

Image: Bike decorated for July 4th parade (Getty Images)

It’s Fernet-Branca shots, Peronis, and parade floats all around on Sunday, as the “oldest continuously running Italian heritage parade” in America returns to North Beach, amid another weekend chock-full of activities.

Unless you’ve been living under a pair of noise-canceling headphones the last 24 hours, you know that Fleet Week is back in town for the weekend. But that’s not the only big traditional to-do this weekend, as North Beach will once again be hosting the Italian Heritage Festival & Parade on Sunday, to render the neighborhood and its streets in a sea of green and red.

"This is our 154th parade,” the parade’s president Bill Mastrangelo tells KPIX in the preview video above. “It started in 1869. We are one of the longest continuously running parades on the west coast."

It’s the same parade route as it has been in most recent years. Per the official route announcement, “The Parade begins at 12:30 p.m. at the foot of Jefferson and Powell Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf, proceeds south through North Beach on Columbus Avenue and ends in Washington Square in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church. Parade viewing is available throughout the entire route."

And we have some sort of Fernet-Branca promotion! Though it appears it’s just encouragement to do a shot at each of the above-named North Beach bars. Can you do nine shots of Fernet over the course of the day? They want you to!

This does of course mean street closures and Muni reroutes. SFMTA has a full list of parade closures and Muni reroutes, and notably, The F Market and 30 Stockton have some significant reroutes in effect.

And yes, this is the former Columbus Day Parade, though they dropped that name in 1994, long before it was cool to do so. The parade does retain the tradition and naming of a “Queen Isabella and her royal court,” named for Isabella I of Castile who paid for Columbus’ famous/infamous voyage. Though ironically, Queen Isabella was Spanish, not Italian.

And as a related reminder, kids are off school Monday for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Related: Parades are Back, as Italian Heritage Parade Returns to North Beach in October [SFist]

Image: Geri Koeppel via Hoodline

The nation’s “oldest continuously running Italian heritage parade” returns October 10, the first major parade to float the idea since COVID hit.

We have not had a proper, official parade in San Francisco since the pandemic arrived in early 2020. The Chinese New Year Parade was held in February 2020, but drew nowhere near the tourism of a normal year. Since then, the closest thing to a parade has been a few informal marches on Pride weekend, but without floats and bands and such.

But one parade has received the city’s blessing, as the Chronicle reports the Italian Heritage Parade is back on for Sunday, October 10.

"We’re happy to be back in person,” the parade organization’s president Bill Mastrangelo told the Chronicle. “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."

Billed as “the oldest continuously running Italian heritage parade and festival in the United States” (and dating back to 1868!), this is an exceptionally old-school traditional parade. You’ve got your floats, marching bands, and “royal courts” of budding teen queens with sashes and crowns. The Grand Marshal this year is Bimbo’s 365 owner Graziano Cerchiai, as that club turns 90 this year.

The parade kicks off at 12:30 p.m. that Sunday. The parade route originates at Jefferson and Stockton streets in the Wharf, then moves west and southeast to end in North Beach at Washington Square.

This is, of course, the former Columbus Day Parade, though they dropped that name in 1994. They retain the references to “Queen Isabella and her royal court,” named for Isabella I of Castile who financed Columbus’ voyage. Though ironically, she was Spanish, not Italian.

Related: Columbus Statue On Telegraph Hill Vandalized in Honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day [SFist]

Image: The Parade Guys via Facebook

Sunday brought the 46th annual San Francisco LGBT Pride parade, arguably the biggest of its kind in the country, and some perfect sunny weather meant that throngs of people lined Market Street to watch it all go down. The massive post-parade festival at Civic Center included a few arrests but thankfully no early evening outbreaks of gun violence as have happened the past few years.

Photographer David Yu captured a bunch of scenes of the parade, some of which you can see below.

Also, Juanita MORE!'s 11th annual pride party at Jones was just one of several big affairs that capped off the weekend, and there are a couple images from there as well.

Above photos by David Yu

Photo: Jay Barmann/SFist

Photo: Jay Barmann/SFist

Photo: Brandon Norris

Rich colors, loud clanging, hordes of people, and an overwhelming sense of pride took over San Francisco's annual Chinese New Year Parade on Saturday. Photog Erik Wilson was there to capture the people enjoying and/or trudging through the festivities.

Also, it would not have been a San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade without the all-encompassing presence of Rose Pak. SFGate's Beth Spotswood was there to cover the parade, as well as the golden nuggets coming out of Pak's mouth. Though the local powerbroker didn't say much, she did unfurl a few gems. For example:

• [...]Dennis Herrera rolled by in a PT Cruiser. Suddenly, Rose Pak grabbed the microphone and said that since Dennis Herrera was not running for Mayor, we could clap for him.

Pak also gave her unofficial State Assembly endorsement for Supe. David Campos/against Supe. David Chiu).

Emmy Award-winning comedian Sarah Silverman will grace San Francisco will her presence come Gay Pride. In fact, she'll act as Grand Marshal in the Pride parade. Pretty nifty, huh? She is as famous for her sharp potty mouth as she is for her acting and writing prowess. How so? Well, Silverman starred in and penned the much-missed The Sarah Silverman Show, and was recently in Sarah Polley's bittersweet (and very, very wonderful) Take This Waltz, where she plays an alcoholic who, along with Michelle Williams, shows us her vagina while taking a shower. (It's more complicated than that, of course.)

Silverman will be joined by two other famous types, Dot Jones (Glee) and Carmen Carrera (RuPaul's Drag Race) along the parade route. Other esteemed queers and queer-friendly Grand Marshals are: Gilbert Baker (creator of the rainbow flag), Willie Brown (not-so-secret ruler of San Francisco; Subway sandwich aficionado), Bishop Christopher Senyonjo (really into God), Edaj (choreographer, producer, emcee and DJ), Rebecca Prozan (super rad person; Director of Community Outreach for the District Attorney's Office), Sister Roma (face of the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence), Olga Talamante (activist), Morningstar Vancil ("two-spirit, butch and as a folk-artist, veteran, and community builder"), and Gary Virginia (noted fundraiser, activist, and "24-year HIV/AIDS survivor").

Also, check out all of the Pride events going on this month, if the mood should strike. They've got everything from teaching your little kid to help build his or her readiness for kindergarten/preschool success to a crazy-ass dance party for bears and/or oversized gays. Check out all of the events going on this month at SFPride.org.

Previously: June Is Totally Gay Pride Month, Proclaims Governor Brown

This unassuming Scientology float appeared at Sunday's Carnaval celebration in the Mission. Wonder why, with all the money they pull in from sect members, they don't also have a float in the Pride parade too? Oh right.

[Photo by Meesha, via Mission Mission]

Record Store Day 2012: Iggy Pop is the ambassador of this year's nationwide Record Store Day happening on Saturday, featuring a special Iggy And The Stooges Record Store Day release, plus many more special releases, deals, and festivities in participating stores.

World Naked Bike Ride: Get out that anti-chafing cream, it's that time of year when folks ride bikes in their birthdays suits. Quite often these naked riders are ones you'd rather not see naked.

Annual Cesar E. Chavez Holiday Festival: The largest event in Northern California honoring the life and work of the beloved labor leader will take place on Saturday with a parade and festival featuring live music, entertainment and more.

Cherry Blossom Festival: The second weekend of the cherry blossom extravaganza happens this weekend with the big parade on Sunday and the festival all weekend with food booths, cultural performances, karate, live bands, Japanese sword demos, tea ceremonies, taiko drumming, origami demonstrations and more.

Earth Day: This year's Earth Day Festival at Civic Center brings green/sustainability leaders in an effort "to educate and activate the public" to save the world from itself. Meanwhile, at Crissy Field, the Earth Day Stroll will feature a diverse range of activities, from tortilla making, to nature sculpture, to live animal demonstrations from WildCare, to musicians on bicycles, as well as a new obstacle course adventure, the Park Pursuit.

The rain held off and despite the grayness, a good time was had by many this afternoon during the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade up Market Street. It doesn't really hold a candle to Chicago's or New York's, and definitely not as many people show up, but it is nevertheless one of the better attended parades of the year. And just like clockwork, by noon, they were already at capacity at Johnny Foley's!

Revelers braved the rain on Saturday to check out San Francisco's Chinese New Year's parade celebrating the year of he dragon. Considered one of the luckiest signs under which to be born, the year of the dragon started on January 23, 2012 and will end on February 9, 2013. Photographer Erik Wilson shots these images from the parade. Gung hay fat choy!

The parade rarely falls on the actual day, so even though you're all expected to be boozing it up in an Irish bar on Wednesday, many a twentysomething took today's parade as a perfect excuse to start early. San Francisco's St. Paddy's Day Parade (and btw, point of information: It's St. Paddy, if you must... Patty is a girl) doesn't really hold a candle to New York's or Chicago's, but hey, it's still over an hour long and gives all the Bay Area's Irish organizations and step-dancing clubs a reason to get together and take a stroll to Civic Center. Please enjoy our gallery, which includes several of our fine Supervisors in little cars (Ross Mirkarimi's MiniCooper being the tiniest... so tiny that he just walked alongside it).

Speaking of fuzzy hats... It's been dubbed LovEvolution this year, but it's all the same shit. Nostalgia for 90s-rave-era fashion, combined with deep house beats and nostalgia for 60s-era peace, love and body paint -- all reveled in by teenagers who are too young to remember either. Well, them and at least A DOZEN fully naked, middle-aged men who looked like they just wandered out of the dungeon they've been in since Folsom Street Fair just to get their picture taken with some kids. Seriously, guys -- half of these girls and boys are, like, twelve! Put some clothes on! We couldn't even stomach taking pics of the nudists, but here's some general sense of the day-drinking, dancing, and drugging that paraded up Market Street toward the afternoon rave at Civic Center.

7:45 PM UPDATE - *MAJOR* shitshow at Civic Center BART/Muni right now. The cold blew on in, everyone's coming down and shivering in their skivvies. It looked like they'd locked the Muni gates and were otherwise preventing the crowd to move through, or else they were too effed up to figure out the whole making change thing. Anyhow, see more pics at this Flickr Pool.