Carnival Celebration Returns to the Mission
This Memorial Day weekend, Carnaval San Francisco will return to the Mission after a two-year pandemic related hiatus. The two-day multi-cultural festival, parade, and party take over the Mission District. Bar hop as samba drummers and dancers cruise through. The festival, expected to bring thousands of people to the city, will feature food, music, dance, arts, crafts, the new tech, a cannabis garden, and gaming pavilion. The activities and entertainment are for all ages to enjoy.
“As we make an exciting return to celebratory Carnaval San Francisco festivities, to understand this year’s theme, it’s important to understand what the community has been through these past two years,” said Rodrigo Duran, Executive Director of Carnaval San Francisco. “During the emergence of COVID-19, so many in this community took the initiative to provide the community with different forms of aid. The whole Carnaval San Francisco team understood the importance of our people and worked in collaboration with the San Francisco Latino Task Force as a response. The Mission Food Hub was formed and in May 2020, instead of the traditional grand parade and festival, we hosted our first Health and Wellness event. These acts of service weren’t solely out of duty, but of pure intention, fervor, and love for the people that we are humbled to call ours. At this year’s festival and parade, we’ll celebrate while continuing our work, expanding upon, and paying our respects to, all the aspects of love.”
This year’s Carnaval San Francisco Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29 from 10am – 6pm. Taking place on Harrison Street between 16th and 24th streets.
The Grand Parade on Sunday, May 29, begins at 9:30am. Beautifully adorned floats, Brazilian-style escola samba dancers, dressed in feathered headdresses or sweeping Bahia skirts, and Caribbean contingents perform the music and dance of the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad. Other parade groups include Mexican Aztec performers, traditional African drummers, Polynesian dancers, Japanese drummers, giant puppets and folkloric groups representing Guatemala, Honduras and Bolivia. The Grand Parade will start at the corner of 24th and Bryant streets, proceed west to Mission Street, head north on Mission to 15th Street, turn east on 15th and conclude at South Van Ness.
It should be a lively scene.
Besides the awesome vibe, a portion of the sales at each participating venue will be donated back to CANA, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that funds artistry behind Carnaval San Francisco.
