L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 4 W h e n O c t o b e r arrives in S a n F r a n c i s - co, North Beach becomes the epicenter of a special week- end, where heritage, festivi- ties, and traditions blend. On S u n d a y , O c t o b e r 1 1 t h , 2026, the city will host the 158th San Francisco Ital- ian Heritage Parade, a free community event that b e g i n s i n F i s h e r m a n ' s W h a r f , a l l t h e w a y d o w n Columbus Avenue, and cul- m i n a t e s i n W a s h i n g t o n S q u a r e i n f r o n t o f S a i n t s Peter and Paul Church. We covered the parade over the past years and we witnessed firsthand how this gathering continues to pulse at the cen- ter of the community. Ahead of the 2026 parade, we sat down with Joe Ciarallo, Vice President of the Board of Directors, to reflect on what makes the nation's old- est Italian parade an evolv- ing event, and why its heart r e m a i n s r o o t e d i n N o r t h Beach. B e f o r e d i s c u s s i n g t h e logistics of the parade, Ciar- allo shared how the connec- tion between his personal j o u r n e y a n d t h e e v e n t b e g a n . B o r n o n t h e E a s t Coast, with paternal roots in Molise and maternal roots in Naples, he represents a narrative within the Italian- American diaspora. "A lot of Southern Italians migrated to the East Coast, so I grew up in New Jersey," Ciarallo explained. "When I moved to San Francisco in 2013, one of the things I immedi- a t e l y a p p r e c i a t e d a b o u t North Beach and the Bay A r e a w a s i t s i n c r e d i b l e b l e n d : y o u h a v e f a m i l i e s who have been here for over a century, expats who just moved here from Milan for tech jobs, and people like myself who made their way across the country." In 2016, Ciarallo joined t h e b o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s , m a r k i n g 2 0 2 6 a s h i s f u l l decade of volunteering. His d e d i c a t i o n i s r o o t e d i n a clear understanding of the event's value to the neigh- borhood. "Everyone on the board believes in this mis- sion: while the parade is a visible moment for Italian- American pride, it is also the single largest driver of eco- n o m i c i m p a c t f o r N o r t h B e a c h , " C i a r a l l o n o t e d . "When you see the packed restaurants, the crowded cafés, and local shops busy all weekend, you realize this is more than a parade; it's an economic lifeline sup- porting the small businesses that form the cultural heart of our district." As the country's oldest continuous Italian her- itage parade, San Francis- co occupies a unique place in American cultural history. Having grown up around major East Coast parades in c i t i e s l i k e N e w Y o r k a n d Philadelphia, Ciarallo offers a clear perspective on what sets the West Coast event apart. "What we hear con- stantly from attendees, even those visiting from the East Coast, is that our parade feels much more European," Ciarallo said. "Unlike other i m p r e s s i v e p a r a d e s , y o u h a v e W a s h i n g t o n S q u a r e Park acting as a true piazza. People sit at outdoor cafés, s i p w i n e , e a t p a s t a , a n d watch the parade pass right by their tables. It fosters a neighborhood-centric envi- r o n m e n t w h e r e f a m i l i e s r e t u r n t o t h e e x a c t s a m e restaurant spot year after year." Much of the history being celebrated is already part of North Beach itself: Italian immigrants opened busi- nesses along these streets, worshipped at Saints Peter and Paul, filled the cafés and restaurants around Colum- bus Avenue, and helped turn nearby Fisherman's Wharf into one of the city's best- known fishing communities. T h e n e i g h b o r h o o d h a s changed, of course, but on parade day those old con- nections become clear again, with people watching from café tables and doorways or gathering along the same sidewalks their great-grand- parents once walked. Maintaining cultural rele- vance across generations is one of the parade's most sig- nificant achievements. As the community transitions from second, third-genera- tion families to fourth, fifth- generation Italian Ameri- c a n s , a l o n g s i d e I t a l i a n e x p a t s , t h e b o a r d w o r k s intentionally to bridge those h i s t o r i c a l g a p s . " E t h n i c i d e n t i t y d o e s n ' t h a v e a n expiration date," Ciarallo emphasized. "Whether your great-grandfather arrived through Ellis Island or Angel Island a hundred years ago, o r y o u m o v e d h e r e f r o m Milan last month, that cul- tural thread remains intact. We honor our legacy organi- zations, like the San Fran- c i s c o I t a l i a n A t h l e t i c Club, which has been part S a n F r a n c i s c o : 1 5 8 y e a r s o f I t a l i a n p r i d e , tradition, and community spirit SERENA PERFETTO NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Musicians in red, white and green bring Italian music to the streets during the San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade, one of the country's longest-running celebrations of Italian-American culture (Photo courtesy of the Italian Heritage Parade)

• Cover