Carnaval San Francisco Celebrates 46 Years With Spectacular Mission Street Parade

On Sunday, San Francisco’s Mission Street resonated with a very specific sound: a blend of samba, cumbia, dancehall and reggaetón — a deep pulsing rhythm only heard when it’s Carnaval San Francisco.

The community celebration — now in its 46th year — brought together thousands of musicians and dancers from all over California as part of its Grand Parade, which moved through 20 blocks in the Mission District. Over 60 contingents participated this year, each representing a different culture from Latin America and the Caribbean.

KQED’s Beth LaBerge was there to capture the festivities. See some of the most colorful and lively moments from the parade.

The crowds filled the sidewalks of the Mission by the thousands, cheering for every performance. After all, each contingent made it to Carnaval this year after thousands of hours of dance practice, costume preparation and float design. The result of all that effort is apparent: the perfect coordination between percussion and choreography of Loco Bloco, the elaborate details on each tiliche suit of Carnaval Putleco, the sea of colorful feathers in the costumes of Flavaz of D’ Caribbean.

And, of course, the warmth exuded from this year’s Carnaval King and Queen: Yeison Andrés Jiménez and Mónica Mendoza, who did not stop dancing for any of the 20 blocks that made up the parade route.

This year’s theme was “Honor Indigenous Roots,” chosen by the event’s organizers, who point out that Carnaval — both in San Francisco and in all its different iterations throughout Latin America — has continued to thrive thanks to the contributions of Indigenous communities throughout the continent. Rigoberta Menchú, a 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, led the parade as Grand Marshall.

Menchú has worked for decades to protect the rights of Indigenous people in her home country of Guatemala and the rest of Latin America. She was easily recognizable by many in the crowd, who proudly flew Guatemalan flags in the air.

Carnaval is in San Francisco, but it takes all of the Bay Area to make it happen. Our region has folks from every corner of Latin America and the Caribbean. It makes sense for Carnaval to reflect that diversity. Carnaval is also a testament to the resilience of our communities in the face of recent challenges like COVID-19, the high cost of living and deportations.

“Carnaval is a space where you come to feel good. To feel accepted. To feel at home,” Carnaval Executive Director Rodrigo Durán told KQED before the celebrations.