- Yessica Avila
Carnaval San Francisco
Since COVID first started, Carnaval San Francisco has been postponed. They just announced they will be back this year better than ever. This year will be the 44th Annual Carnaval.
Carnaval San Francisco was first held in 1979 by a group of artists. Including percussionist Marcus Gordon, dancer Adela Chu and costume designer Pam Minor in 1979, who came together in Precita Park.
The first Carnaval SF happened on a cold and windy San Francisco day on February 25th, 1979. Around 200 dancers and drums dressed in all sorts of colors and costumes as they paraded around Precita Park in the Mission District. The carnival was described as looking like a hippy, dancing half-naked in the park event. The following year they held carnival again, but somehow word had gotten around, and lots of people showed up. In fact, so many had shown up that they weren't allowed to host it in the park anymore. Carnaval SF grew more popular year after year and is now attended by around half a million people!
This year's theme for Carnival is Colores De Amor, which is Colors of Love. It is a two-day festival that will happen on May 28th and May 29th in the mission district.
Carnaval's mission is; "Carnaval San Francisco, the largest multicultural festival in the West Coast, is a project that CANA organizes, with the goal of educating people on the Latino, Caribbean and African Diasporic traditions of the Mission District and the San Francisco Bay Area. We accomplish our mission through dance, music, the visual arts and by creating spaces for community learning, school-based education, and advocacy."
Carnaval has become bigger and popular throughout the years as it celebrates many cultures. You do not want to miss this year's comeback.