(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in the 175th St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 14, 2026. They have taken part in this popular annual event for nearly two decades.
Falun Dafa practitioners participate in the 175th St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco.
The Tian Guo Marching Band passes the viewing platform.
Practitioners demonstrate the Falun Dafa exercises.
St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional Irish holiday established to honor Ireland’s patron saint. Celebrated each year on March 17, the holiday is associated with the color green. Most parade participants dress in green clothing or accessorize with green hats and decorations, while the shamrock—another symbol linked to St. Patrick—is the iconic emblem of the celebration.
The practitioners’ group included the Tian Guo Marching Band and a Falun Dafa exercise demonstration team. Spectators on both sides of the parade route applauded as they marched past, and many clapped in time to the beat of the music.
As they passed the viewing platform, the host introduced the band and Falun Dafa practitioners, and announced that the band has participated in the parade every year since 2007. Last year, the band won the John Philip Sousa award in the Huntington Beach Independence Day Parade.
The host mentioned that the costumes were custom-made, and were similar to the uniforms worn by warriors during China’s Tang Dynasty, with the Chinese character for “Music” prominently displayed on the front.
The host also introduced the Falun Dafa exercise team, dressed in vibrant yellow clothing accented with red trim. This marked the exercise team’s 16th consecutive year of participating in the parade.
Audience Agrees with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
Joseph Latham from Ireland
As the band warmed up before the parade, quite a few spectators watched. Joseph Latham, a tourist from Ireland, said, “The band is great. They are amazing.
“I like [Falun Gong’s principles of] Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” Joseph said. “We need these values now, especially in the current world.”
Charles and his friend Ashley enjoyed the Falun Gong contingent.
Charles and his friend Ashley watched the parade. Charles said, “The band is excellent and the music is melodious. I like the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. We need these principles now. What we lack right now is sincerity; we need to return to our roots and make America better.”
His friend Ashley could speak Chinese and said, while holding a flyer in Chinese, “This band is professional. I like it very much.”
William and wife Naomi watched the parade.
Spectator William said, “The Falun Dafa practitioners’ group is fantastic. We particularly enjoyed the drumming performance, and their costumes are also beautiful.”
After learning about the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, Naomi said, “This is a guideline for our lives.” William agreed, “The principles are remarkably simple and appear easy to follow, yet it may well be the most difficult to put into practice. We will give it a try; at the very least, we can adhere to this principle in our dealings with neighbors—treating those around us with sincerity and kindness.”
Caroline really enjoyed the practitioners’ parade entries.
Caroline, who is Irish American, watched the parade. She said, “The Falun Dafa practitioners’ team is great, and they bring happiness to people. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are good and these are guidelines that everyone should follow.”
Mahima watches the parade.
Mahima warmly applauded practitioners and said, “The band’s performance is amazing. We like it very much.” When she learned of Falun Dafa’s principles, she said, “Wow, that is truly beautiful. This teaching is excellent—it is exactly what I need. Especially in my daily life, I need to follow these principles—Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. They will help me.”
Annie accepted a flyer about Falun Dafa.
Annie, who watched the parade with her family of five, said, “I love this band. They look really cool, and the music they play sounds fantastic. I believe that Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are extremely important. Being able to live by these principles is something I consider vital, and it’s also very important for society.”
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