Carnaval San Francisco, the annual, free, two-day Festival and Grand Parade featuring international music, dance, arts & crafts and cuisine, is proud to announce details for its 40th anniversary celebration,  themed“Raíces del Carnaval – Roots of Carnaval.” Carnaval San Francisco’s two-day Festival will take place Memorial Day weekend, May 26 & 27 in the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, located in the heart of the city’s Mission District.  The Grand Parade, featuring a brilliant procession of over 70 contingents, will take place Sunday, May 27.  Since its inception in 1978, Carnaval San Francisco has grown to become the largest multi–cultural celebration on the West Coast, drawing more than 400,000 attendees each year.

As Carnaval San Francisco enters its 40^th year, event organizers are acknowledging the celebration’s formidable roots. This year’s theme, “Raíces del Carnaval — Roots of Carnaval,” pays homage to Carnaval’s predecessors and the efforts made to create the multicultural community in the Bay Area.

“For 40 years, we have had the privilege of building an event where music, art and dance from Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States convene in harmony,” said Roberto Hernandez, Carnaval San Francisco’s executive producer. “Although cultural appropriation and gentrification threaten the longevity of multicultural spaces like the Mission’s Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, we have successfully kept our ancestors’ traditions alive and thriving in San Francisco.”

The Carnaval San Francisco Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and will feature live performances by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter India, American Latin-tinged rock and roll band MALO,American brown-eyed soul group El Chicano, Latin R &B band Tierra, singer Ricardo Lemvo and more.  Taking place on Harrison Street between 16^th and 24th streets, the Festival will feature a rich assortment of food, music, dance, arts, crafts and other fun activities and entertainment on several stages for people of all ages to enjoy.

The Grand Parade on Sunday, May 27 will be led by Panamanian-born dancer and Carnaval San Francisco co-founder Adela Chu and Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger Chuchito Valdés Jr.  The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a brilliant procession of contingents, most of which will feature beautifully adorned floats depicting rich multicultural themes and featuring performers who engage and entertain the crowds.  Brazilian-style escola samba schools with up to 300 members will dance through the streets in fantastic feathered headdresses or sweeping Bahia skirts, while Caribbean contingents perform the music and dance of the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad.  Other parade groups include Mexican Aztec performers, traditional African drummers, Polynesian dancers, Japanese drummers, giant puppets and folkloric groups representing Guatemala, Honduras and Bolivia.  The Grand Parade will start at the corner of 24^th and Bryant streets, proceed west to Mission Street, head north on Mission to 15^th Street, turn east on 15th and conclude at South Van Ness.

Admission to the festival and parade is FREE.  Donations to support the arts can be made at the festival entrance. Grandstand seating for the parade, located on Mission Street between 21^st and 22^nd streets, is available for purchase online at www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org.

For more information and current updates about Carnaval San Francisco, please visit www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org.