SANTA CLARA, Calif.— Thousands of Bay Area residents gathered in Santa Clara on Oct. 3 for the city’s annual Parade of Champions, with this year’s celebration highlighting the 250th anniversary of American independence and the importance of sports and health.

The event brought together veterans’ organizations, sports and fitness groups, youth organizations, cultural associations, and various city government departments.

“We are here celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Jerry Escobar, marketing executive of the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America, told The Epoch Times.

Escobar said Santa Clara has a strong and united Portuguese American community, with several groups participating in the parade.

The Santa Clara Parade of Champions dates back to 1945, when it began as a celebration welcoming local veterans home at the end of World War II. It was suspended in 1995 but was revived in 2019 and has continued since then.

“Liberty and justice for all. We celebrate the freedom that we enjoy,” Ousmane Barry, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Santa Clara, told The Epoch Times as he walked in the parade.

Barry noted that the Rotary Club of Santa Clara was founded in 1936. For nine decades, the organization has supported educational opportunities for children and young people and provided services to seniors and the broader community.

The Northern California edition of The Epoch Times, which operates from Santa Clara, also participated in the parade. Its contingent carried a banner reading, “Thank You America For Our Freedom.”

The Epoch Times was founded in 2000 by a group of Chinese Americans who shared a commitment to providing uncensored news and information to people in China and around the world. Twenty-six years later, the media organization has expanded to 35 countries and provides content in 22 languages.

The Northern California Epoch Times contingent marches in the Santa Clara Parade of Champions on Oct. 3, 2026. (Nathan Su/The Epoch Times)

The parade featured not only Santa Clara community organizations but also groups from other cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Near the front of the lineup was the San Mateo High School Bearcats Marching Band. The Bearcats are the school’s mascot.

Anthony Wu and Ryan Delmo, who led the marching band, told The Epoch Times that participating in community parades is one way for the school to give back to the community while promoting interaction and unity among different communities.

This was the band’s first appearance in Santa Clara’s parade. Earlier this year, the students also participated in the San Francisco Italian Heritage Festival Parade.

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor said the parade is important because “the whole community comes out, and everyone is here. This is a diverse community, and it is beautiful.”

Santa Clara City Councilmember Karen Hardy said residents enjoy opportunities to come together as a community.

“People in Santa Clara love these kinds of activities where we can all come together,” Hardy said.

This year marked Hardy’s seventh time participating in the parade. A retired teacher, she said some of the student groups in the parade are still under her coaching.

Councilmember Kevin Park was another participant and supporter of the event. He noted that Santa Clara has around 130,000 residents, and he said the annual gathering provides an opportunity to honor the “champions” and pioneers who have made significant contributions to the city throughout its history.

Park said he would like to see similar community events held every weekend, both to enrich family life and to bring economic activity to local businesses.

Hardy and Park are both currently candidates for Santa Clara mayor.

A group of Falun Dafa practitioners from the Bay Area also participated in the parade.

Joel Ng, a representative of the Bay Area Falun Dafa Association, told The Epoch Times that he was pleased to have the opportunity to introduce the public to the spiritual practice’s principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. He said although practitioners of Falun Dafa have faced long-standing persecution by the Chinese Communist Party in China, here on American soil they are free to participate in community activities.

This year, in addition to hosting its Parade of Champions, Santa Clara is serving as the site of six tournament matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The parade also celebrated the 75th anniversary of Santa Clara’s renowned swim club, which has produced 80 Olympic athletes throughout its history. Its athletes have won 51 gold medals and 29 silver or bronze medals.

For thousands of participants and spectators, the Parade of Champions provided an opportunity to celebrate Santa Clara’s community spirit and sporting tradition as well as the freedoms and values of American society.