Happy Fourth of July — San Francisco Style!

San Francisco’s new Fourth of July tradition — an oceanside parade at Sunset Dunes.

By Joel Engardio

San Francisco never had a citywide Fourth of July parade and we needed one. That’s why as a city supervisor, I helped start a new San Francisco tradition — an oceanside parade to celebrate Independence Day. 

Sunset Dunes is the perfect place for a parade along our beautiful coast and 2026 was our third year. Here’s to the next hundred!

Despite the challenges facing our country and the world, there is still much joy in our lives worth celebrating. And we can honor the promise of America while working to ensure it applies to all.

Our first parade in 2024 was led by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi!

Nancy Pelosi and Joel Engardio speak to the crowd at the 2024 parade

See video highlights from the first parade in 2024:

The legendary San Francisco Pride Band and more recently formed Sunset Community Band have become parade favorites — inspiring the crowd to dance to their joyful music.

Top: Sunset Community Band. Bottom: San Francisco Pride Band

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

Much thanks to Friends of Sunset Dunes and San Francisco Recreation and Park Department for making the parade possible — along with all the volunteers and apple pie purveyors. Part of the parade tradition is free apple pie (as long as it lasts).

The only previous 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.

While there are several neighborhood-based parades every year, San Francisco finally has a big citywide parade at Sunset Dunes. 

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