This footage was filmed and produced 1 April 2023.

For nearly five decades, Ed Holmes and his crew of East Bay residents have been satirizing the financial industry. Holmes founded the annual St. Stupid’s Day parade in 1979, which aims to honor the archetypal fool and lampoon those who value materialism. This Saturday, a group of jesters is planning to march through the Financial District to parody big business.

Holmes, a former performer with the SF Mime Troupe and a self-proclaimed member of “the clown-fool biz,” stated that this year’s parade will begin at noon at the Transamerica Pyramid, also known as “the pointy building” in St. Stupid’s parlance. The procession will continue up Columbus Avenue to Washington Square Park. The parade’s centerpiece is a fictitious sacred figure called St. Stupid, who is the patron saint of parking meters according to Holmes.

Over the past 50 years, the parade has developed various unusual traditions. Holmes said that participants typically halt at the former San Francisco Stock and Bond Exchange building (now an Equinox gym) for a sock exchange. Additionally, they march over to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to toss losing lottery tickets.

“We thank the Federal Reserve for turning our economy into a lottery economy,” Holmes stated. “It’s a beautiful sight.”

The tricksters have also headed to 580 California Street to throw pennies at three marble sculptures draped eerily that reign over the Financial District. Legendary San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen once referred to the sculptures as the “Station of Stupid,” according to Holmes.

“We bring pennies to thank the banks and say, ‘Here’s a penny you didn’t get this year,’” Holmes stated.

On St. Stupid’s Day, Holmes adopts an alter-ego called Bishop Joey, a modified name borrowed from Joey Bishop, who is arguably the least-famous member of the Rat Pack. Holmes flips the first and last names to give himself a holy glow-up.

Stacy Samuels, who has marched with a trombone on St. Stupid’s Day for years, told The Standard that slogans such as “No more chanting!” are among his favorite things to yell as he rolls through the FiDi.