The Guide toSan Francisco's Carnaval Celebration
The Mission District will sizzle with the sights and sounds of samba, salsa and more for the festival and grand parade on Memorial Day weekend.
Highlights
The Carnaval San Francisco Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. The festivities center on Harrison Street in the Mission District between 16th and 24th Streets.
The Grand Parade on Sunday, begins at 9:30 a.m. Spectators return year after year to see the floats depicting multicultural themes. Brazilian-style escola samba schools with as many as 300 performers dance through the streets in lavish, feathered headdresses and swirling Bahia skirts. At the same time, Caribbean contingents perform the music and dance of the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad. Other groups in the parade include Mexican Aztec performers, traditional African drummers, Polynesian dancers, Japanese drummers, giant puppets and folkloric groups representing Guatemala, Honduras and Bolivia.
Parade Route
The parade will start at the corner of 24th and Bryant Streets and proceed west to Mission Street. From there, the parade heads north on Mission down to 17th Street, which will turn east to South Van Ness. Bleacher seats are available for the Grand Parade.
Festival
The two-day festival on Memorial Day Weekend is from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and will unfold along Harrison Street between 16th and 24th Streets. The festival will feature various food, music, dance, arts, crafts and entertainment on several stages and appeal to all ages. Please note that no pets are allowed in the festival area.
Dan is the Vice President, Global Marketing, at San Francisco Travel. San Francisco has been his home for over a decade (that makes him a local, right?). On the weekends, you can find him with a cup of craft coffee in hand, a playlist of good vibes, a growing list of books to read, or out at the city's hottest new restaurant or bar.
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