The 2019 Guide to San Francisco's Carnaval

The Mission District will sizzle with the sights and sounds of samba, salsa and more for Carnaval's festival and grand parade on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-26, 2019.

Highlights

The Carnaval San Francisco Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26, 2019. The festivities center on Harrison Street in the Mission District between 16th and 24th Streets.

The Grand Parade on Sunday, May 26, 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, while 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, where it will turn east to South Van Ness. Bleacher seats are available for the Grand Parade.

Festival

The two-day festival on May 25-26 is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and will unfold along Harrison Street between 16th and 24th Streets. The festival will feature an assortment of food, music, dance, arts, crafts and entertainment on several stages and appeal to all ages. Please note that no pets are allowed in festival area.

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