San Francisco’s New Fourth of July Tradition — An Oceanside Parade

This is how San Francisco celebrates the Fourth of July. We started a new tradition — an oceanside parade.

By Supervisor Joel Engardio

We need to celebrate the joy in our lives — and create more of it.

That’s why we started a new Fourth of July tradition in San Francisco — an oceanside parade brought to you by the Friends of Great Highway Park. 

San Francisco doesn’t have a big, citywide Fourth of July parade. We should. And we will with the success of our first attempt. Even Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi showed up!

Mark your calendar for July 4, 2025 — and every Independence Day after that.

When we celebrate the founding of our nation — which was far from a perfect union — we honor all the work and progress to make it more perfect. We acknowledge that democracy and its freedoms are fragile, requiring constant care. And we imagine the promise our nation still holds.

Here are photo highlights of the parade:

All the floats are people and pedal-powered — bike and wagon floats decorated in colorful and creative ways.

In the spirit of San Francisco, our parade isn’t a typical or traditional event. Our celebration will focus on four key words in the Declaration of Independence: “the pursuit of happiness.” 

Watch ABC7 News reports about our effort to start a new Fourth of July parade tradition in San Francisco:

Planning the parade

A successful launch

It’s about time we had a Fourth of July parade in San Francisco
There are several neighborhood-based parades every year, but the only citywide Fourth of July parade we could find a record of was in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial. The San Francisco Chronicle published “Six Decades of 4th of July Photos” and nary a mention of a parade.

The Declaration of Independence talks about “the pursuit of happiness.” That’s why San Francisco needs a Fourth of July parade. We need to escape the “doom loop.” Let’s celebrate what makes us happy.

The challenges in our city can feel daunting. We can’t do this hard work without hope. That’s why I believe we must always lead with joy. That’s why I brought a night market to the Sunset — and why we’ve now created a Fourth of July parade.

We must recognize the joy in our city. There is plenty of it. Think of every gathering of your friends and family. Or how you feel when you experience the natural beauty, cuisine, and culture that defined San Francisco long before “doom loop” became a buzzword. 

The problems we face are real. So are the joyful things. We must keep that perspective. Let’s encourage more joy as we work to create our best San Francisco.