The first weekend in October is usually busy for San Francisco. Residents and travelers greet the San Francisco Fleet Week to honor all men and women serving in the armed forces and celebrate the oldest Italian Heritage Parade of the United States. It usually takes three hours for all people on the floats, organizations, and cars to go around North Beach, while approximately 150,000 attendees wave and shout at them in a festive mood.

This has been the tradition for many years, since the inaugural parade in 1868 in San Francisco’s downtown, featuring the bands and marching units of Italian fraternal organizations, including the Garibaldi Guard, Swiss Guards and Lafayette Guards, and also after 1994, when the Italian Heritage Parade became that moment in the year to honor the accomplishments and the culture of all Italians and Italian-Americans.