San Francisco was decked out in green yesterday as over 100 floats cruised down Market Street to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The 175th iteration of the parade celebrates the cultural ties between the United States and Ireland with this year’s celebration noting America’s 250th birthday. Irish immigrants first arrived in the Bay Area during California’s gold rush in the 1840s and 1850s. By 1880, Irish immigrants made up a third of San Francisco’s population.
Kids tossed candy onto the parade’s spectators on Market Street while bands banged on drums and blew melodies through bagpipes. Various floats from local unions and city supervisors coasted along the street, honking horns and waving to the crowd.
The procession ended outside city hall at Civic Center Plaza. Even while the parade was dying down, more than 100 people sat on the steps of city hall to catch a last-second glimpse of the festivities.
Kids sitting on the back of a fire truck throw candy toward crowds on Market Street during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco on Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Klyde Java / Golden Gate Xpress)