upper waypoint

Carnaval San Francisco Celebrates 46 Years With Spectacular Mission Street Parade

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Several women dressed in colorful clothing dance and walk down the street during a parade.
Cathedral City High School Ballet Folklórico performs during the Carnaval Grand Parade in San Francisco's Mission District on May 26, 2024.

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.

A woman wearing colorful clothing adjusts the hat of another woman.
San Simón Cochabamba Filial California member Stephanie Nonalaya (right) helps Kasandra Barrientos with her hat before dancing in the Carnaval Grand Parade in San Francisco’s Mission District on May 26, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

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.

Side-by-side images of women dressed in elaborate attire for a parade.
Left: Jediah Pratt, 15, dances with Loco Bloco in the Carnaval Grand Parade. Right: Loco Bloco dancers perform. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

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.

Sponsored

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.

Two women dressed in decorative attire for a parade look at each other outside.
Alma Mejia (left) and Sandra Sandoval, from the group Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca, talk before the Carnaval Grand Parade in San Francisco’s Mission District. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
A woman looks at herself in a gold mirror.
A member of the Brazilian group Sambaxé looks at herself in a mirror during the Carnaval Grand Parade in San Francisco’s Mission District on May 26, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

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.

Several people dressed in green hold up decorations and costumes as they walk down the street during a parade.
Beautiful Beginnings Arts Collective march in the parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Several people dressed in decorative attire walk down the street during a parade.
Amando Herrera Villa (center) wears a tiliche handmade by his wife, Martha Cortés Rojas, with beads and ayoyote shells, during the Carnaval Grand Parade. Herrera Villa is part of the Oaxacan group Carnaval Putleco. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
A man and woman dance in white clothing and colorful dresses in the street.
Members of the group Mi Tierra Colombiana practice before the parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
A side-by-side image of a person dressed in a colorful costume next to a man looking to the right on scaffolding behind a mural.
Left: A member of Grupo Folklórico Guatemalteco Xelaju dances during the Carnaval parade. Right: A spectator watches the parade with ‘Carnaval Mural’ in the background. The mural was originally painted In 1983 by Daniel Galvez and is based on photographs by Lou Dematteis from the 1979 Carnaval. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

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.

Several people dressed in red walk down the street during a parade.
Danza Mestiza celebrates Selena during the parade. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

“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.

Several people dance on the sidewalk during a parade.
Spectators dance during the Carnaval Grand Parade in San Francisco’s Mission District. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Several people dressed in decorative attire walk down the street during a parade.
Groups from Oaxaca dance on Mission Street during the parade.

lower waypoint
next waypoint