San Francisco hosted its 175th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Market Street this past Saturday. Crowds lined up the street for miles to watch the festivities, which included traditional Irish music from Troop 21, Drum & Bugle Corps, a marching performance, and decorations such as balloons and glimmering banners colored green and gold with glimmering banners adorning the vehicles passing by.
The parade began with vans driving down the street and people waving to the audience, occasionally throwing candy out to eager children in the crowd. Groups of participants, eager to watch and interact with others, ran down the street, shouting and laughing with the audience, only adding to the delight of the event. It is clear that this event was meant to celebrate not only a popular holiday, but also to acknowledge our community coming together in unity. “The SFO St. Patrick’s Day parade culminates this beautiful community of joy and appreciation for the Irish heritage,” Menlo sophomore Sophia Sunderam said.
People gathered together to honor their heritage and demonstrate their traditions. Jackie Flynn Irish Dance Company performed a traditional Irish dance for the crowd to the song “Wellerman” by Nathan Evans, which received loud chants and claps from the encouraging audience. Galileo High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) was also featured at the event, playing classic Irish music for the crowd to enjoy and dance to.
Toward the middle of the event, people protested the atrocities against Iran and Palestine. Chants such as “No war” and “Free Palestine” echoed throughout the crowd. Although the topic was one of devastation, it also brought hope to see a united community. “I love to see how people are coming together to stay strong despite the tragedies occurring across our globe,” M-A sophomore Diego Lopez said, a supporter of the freedom and no war movements. “Coming together for me, and for the community, means that we can always fight oppression when there are continuously people with the bravery willing to stand up for what’s right.”
To add a little extra fun to the parade, participants also brought their pets dressed up with spirit. Drivers in the parade showed off their pups, who received praise and pets from their admiring audience members.
One tourist from the Rafael Nadal Academy in Taiwan, junior Emma Lu, expressed her joy from witnessing this event. “This is definitely a memorable experience. The community, the city, the overall vibe is just amazing,” Lu said. “I’ve been having a good time seeing all that San Francisco has to offer, and this is for sure going to be one of the highlights of my trip. I can’t wait to return.”
Overall, this event honored the traditional Irish holiday with festivities and spirit.
