I have to admit, I had heard of this festival for a while, but wasn't sure what kind of festival it actually was. It's a huge Latino festival, actually multicultural, that's held in the Mission District of San Francisco!! This festival is 2 days, and it's huge, it takes up 17 blocks!! Multiple music stages, booths and food every where. I caught Bart here, got off at 24th and Mission, and just walked here, way easier than driving. The 2nd day starts with a parade of Low Riders, and if you're not there you can watch it on one of the local channels on TV. On one of the side streets, I saw that RBL Posse had a booth set up, had to go check them out (Bammer Weed - if you know, you know) Definitely a very cool festival!! read more

See all

Carnaval itself was beautiful and very well put together. You can tell a lot of effort goes into organizing an event of this size and the energy, culture and music. That said, my experience with some staff left me very disappointed. I fully acknowledge that I arrived late to volunteer and take responsibility for that. I still showed up because I wanted to help and felt it was the right thing to do. What I do not think is acceptable is how I was treated afterward. While explaining my situation, I felt dismissed by one staff member and most concerning, an older male staff member driving a golf cart called me a homophobic slur "fucking faggot" I was unable to get his name before he left. Busy events can be stressful and emotions can run high, but being called a slur should never be acceptable under any circumstance. I'm sharing this because the event itself deserves praise, but volunteers and attendees also deserve to be treated with respect. read more

Date: 5/25/2025. Time: 9:30 AM. 62° Sunny I have never been to Carnaval San Francisco, Mission District. This event is #2 on my bucket list. Thanks to a couple living in my hood for bringing me over to 16th & Mission. I got to hang with them for several hours. I enjoyed myself and had a fantabulous time. It was indeed a celebration of the Latino culture. The parade participants (young and old) were beautifully dressed in their colorful costumes. A police motorcade started the parade. Then the lowriders followed in their custom made vehicles (hydraulics, gold rimmed tires). What a sight to see! It didn't matter to me that the female dancers either were slender or extra thick. They were admirable and they sure moved a whole lot better than what I can do with my own body. I'm 73 and I cannot swivel my hips or shimmy as they do. Same with the men. So much energy to perform. read more

See all

Despite living in and around San Francisco for more than half of Carnaval SF's 47 years it took winning tickets to grandstand seats (thanks yelp!) to actually get me to sit and watch the parade. Though the Carnaval festivities are said to spread over at least 2 days the actual parade occurs on only one day and that's certainly the day to attend. From the grandstand seats ($40, on Mission at 23rd) one can enjoy the 4-hour parade comfortably (perhaps bring a stadium seat) and with a totally unobstructed view. This year, 70 official groups were featured, some spanning multiple blocks, almost all in enchanting/compelling/skimpy/feathery/insert-adjective-here costumes. Much coordinated dance movement, music, and joy was on display. Kicking off at around 10 a.m. with low rider cars, by noon I was growing more interested in lunch. Easy enough. Behind the stadium seats are some of the Mission's finest taquerias. Almost everyone around me, at some point, seemed to be consuming a burrito. If Carnaval sounds like something you want to see you might wonder how best to get there and for that I have two recommendations: via BART, exit at 24th/Mission and you'll be right in the heart of things. Alternatively, getting to the same spot is a short walk if you park in Noe Valley, west of Dolores. Attending SF's Carnaval parade isn't something I'd want to do every year but having a great seat, good food, and 4 hours of joyful entertainment definitely makes it something worth doing at least every once in a while. read more

See all

Attended this magnificent and inspiring festival this past weekend, celebrating latin american and caribbean cultures. And by the afternoon, the crowds were enormous, especially at some of the music stages, and yet still manageable while walking through the streets of endless food and merchandise vendors. We had some delicious snacks from YoSoyCeviche's food stand and refreshing smoothies from Gaspachos, as well as some yummy sweet treats from Churros Mexicanos Plus. The parade was the highlight of our visit, and we got lucky finding decent spots for viewing around noon time, before the surge of attendees piled up. Creatively decorated floats, mesmerizing sounds by musicians and marching bands, choreographed performances, colorful outfits, and even stilt-walkers. Artists, dancers, musicians, and participants young and old and of diverse backgrounds and cultures, representing groups like the Mixtiso latin hip hop dance company, Asiya Shriners, Rainbow Arts Collective, as well as city organizations such as the SF Fire Department and SF Public Library. Too much to see and do, we couldn't do it all in one visit. So we definitely need to return in future years to take advantage of and appreciate the many artists, entertainment, activities, and diverse offerings of this annual two-day multicultural event taking over the Mission district in the city. One of the best festivals I've been to, and we absolutely enjoyed our time here this past Sunday. read more

See all

5 Estrellas Por el Trabajo que Ponen Para Este Festival 5 Stars for the work that they put into this festival We went to Carnal 2023 !! Y que chingon estava. It was awesome to see the colors, the dances, the cars, the blood and sweat that went into it. This review is a little late but if you are reading this definitely check it out if you get a chance. We all know the struggles of it being in SF but if you can catch Bart instead, it definitely will lighten the load of looking fir parking. If not Goodluck. It was in March a little chilly at the time but we came early to beat the crowds. Started off with The Cops driving down to show it's starting, followed by nothing but cruising classic machines. Musica Blasting out the 15s, you have familias enjoying the hops, got Trokitas spinning their beds. Can't beat it. Then Las Danzas! The Dances. The dancers come out. Women and Men supporting the cause of bringing people together as well as Representing their RAZAS. Mexican, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Puetro Rico y mas. Great chance to hear different music and dances. Come check it out! read more

See all

What's not to love? Happy people dancing with purpose- screaming adoring crowd, Latin music blaring from speakers, classic cars, food trucks, oh, the costumes. Everyone together living their best lives, for this brief moment in time. A must-see experience read more

See all

My husband and I could not make it out for 2022 Carnaval in person but KPIX aired the whole thing on the CBS News app through CBSN Bay Area. We watched it on our Roku. The beginning of the show had a lot of low rider cars and even BART and SF Muni made their appearance with the drivable surface street cable car and also the grey Bart vehicle. There are lots of cultures and ages represented in this festival , it's very diverse! I saw a lot of interesting dances and also outfits on the people marching. Also they had a lot of organizations that help service the San Francisco Bay Area needs that I had no clue about before as they had their floats as well. It was fun to watch for the couple of hours that we did. Now we can't wait for SF Pride which I heard will be broadcast on ABC7 on their app. read more

Held last Memorial Day weekend, it was my first time watching this year's Carnaval parade. Since I couldn't afford to go to Rio to see the real deal, I thought this would at least bring some of the party to SF. Partially, it did. I feel that the parade was a bit slow to start (there were two ladies next to me who swore it was more organized the previous years they've gone) and although the brightly colored costumes and some lavish floats made me smile from ear to ear, the spirit just wasn't there. Some of the parade marchers looked tired, some bored. And it seemed like they held back on the freebies this year too, where are the free candies and beads? a lot of the parade watchers were expecting those. I have to give a shout out to ODC Rhythm and Motion float, I'm so proud of my dance studio, more than 50+ people participated in the parade. Wohoo! next year, it's my turn! read more

When my baby When my baby smiles at me I go to Rio de Janeiro My-oh-me-oh I go wild and then I have to do the Samba And La Bamba Now I'm not the kind of person With a passionate persuasion for dancin' Or roma-ancin' But I give in to the rhythm And my feet follow the beatin' of my hear-eart ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Yt2AiHcmI&feature=related When I feel blue, I like to wear my fluorescent ruffled sleeves and shiny spandex pants and come to Carnaval. I shake my maracas and ...oh who am I kidding? I have the rhythm of Dick Cheney. But I like watching others slither their hips around and do those fancy capoeira moves. Like a lot of people, I tend to pass on the festival food only because there are a number of great pupuserias and tacquerias in the 'hood. But I loves me a parade even when I'm squeezed against the railing by some pretty aggressive folks. I did manage to take a few snaps...take a look. read more

See all

If you have not seen the Carnaval parade, you should see it in person at least once. My family had been attending this event for a five years now. Our daughter's family often participate in the parades. The Carnaval exhibits the different national and social cultures that are in San Francisco. That makes the parades interesting and fun for us. Attending the event is not easy if you don't live in San Francisco because parking is hard to find. You can take public transportation like BART that has stations along or near the parade route. That helps a lot but that is not an option for everyone. Another issue is public rest rooms. There are very few of them, and you may have to be a customer in a restaurant to use one. Other than the mentioned issues, I think going to the Carnaval is worth the time. It is not as wild as the New Orlean's Mardi Gras, but it is just as good. San Francisco has many fine dining places, too. read more

Besides the parade, this basically is a street festival to say the least. I think this festival needs to be in a more confined space as everything seemed a little disorganized and spread out. I love the idea of celebrating the spirit of Carnaval, but this was a long shot from any type of Carnival or Carnaval. If you look beyond all of this, the carnaval has a lot of free ice cream and food samples, and opportunities to buy different Latin inspired dishes. There is also a lot of activities for kids! I would highly recommend this if you are a parent, but don't think you are missing much if you actually want to celebrate Carnaval. read more

Carnaval San Francisco - Free ice cream !! - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This is the 7th time I have participated in the Carnaval San Francisco Parade! It is so much fun to be part of the parade and to share my love of Brazilian dance with everyone. This year it seems like there were over 85 groups participating in the parade so the parade was longer than normal and lasted from 9:30 am to after 4 pm! I like the fact that at the end of the parade, there are carts selling popsicles for purchase and I'm ready to devour one! read more

See all

Great time to celebrate culture represented by all ages! Good energy and just nice to be around happy people! Here is my experience w/ the parade: https://youtu.be/J26pvxck-Ew and lowrider display.: https://youtu.be/BwbXDgXkMI0 Tips: -Get a copy of the map of the setup so you know where the entrances are and also the map of the parade route. These maps are easily accessible on their site.: https://carnavalsanfrancisco.org/parade/ I took a screenshot and had it on my phone. -Get there early and know that there are street closures. We used a lyft and got dropped off at the entrance closest to the lowrider display since that is what I wanted to see in addition to the parade. -Portable potties are right by the entrance. -Have fun! read more

I finally had the opportunity to be a part of the San Francisco Carnaval as one of the performers! After waiting almost 2 years the festival is back and full effect! If you are going as a spectator just be fair warned there are a lot of people!! But in a good kind of away. There are lots of vendors great music etc. being a part of the performance was all she a wonderful experience as we were able to walk the full parade right dressed in our wonderful costumes and dancing and performing it was an experience that I will never forget can't wait to be a part of the experience next year. read more

See all

Amazing colors and performances! If sitting there is tiring imagine performing for that long!! Do arrive early to watch their morning native Indian dance ceremony!! It's beautiful There is plenty of space to watch from including a seated & elevated viewing VIP platform which is affordable. Also checkout their food stalls! They are delicious Have been visiting as their official photographer for almost 5 years now and have never once been disappointed. Please do not drive to the event though as it's very hard to get a parking spot! It's also hard to get your vehicle out of the area after the event as it gets more crowded!! Take a Uber or lyft, you will be greatful! read more

See all

Talk about a disappointment.... I went to my first Carnaval on Sunday, 5.30 at 3PM and I was amazed on how disorganized, dirty, and lack of "cultural" representation there was. It was as if they just threw all sorts of booths, vendors, and performers in "The Mission" and ask them to do their thang. DAY/TIME: Saturday, 5.29 and Sunday 5.30 from 10AM-6PM. LOCATION: Harrison Street btw 16 and 22nd Streets. PARKING: If you are going to attempt to look for parking, GOOD LUCK b/c you will be circling around for hours. Take Bart or Muni instead. ENTRANCE LINE: Uhh, getting padded down, having metal detectors sweep you, and your purse bag searched upon entrance?!?! WTF, I thought I was going to a festival not SFO or the penitentiary (not that I've ever been)! MUSIC: KMEL and WILD 94.9 had a booth right NEXT to each other; each trying to blare music louder than the other. Is it "In My Head" or is it "Nothing On You"? IDK, it's perhaps, "My Head In On You?" Then you would have a group playing the Djembe African drums nearby; definitely a migraine waiting to happen and certainly wasn't music to my ears esp if you've been partying the night before. PERFORMANCES: I missed the parade that was earlier in the morning. But, there was a live Latin band playing on the main stage. And, there were beautiful women and men decked out in elaborate Brazilian Costumes walking around (the only plus). VENDORS: SUCKED; maybe I was expecting vendors to sell unique and authentic items from various Latin cultures? The majority of the booths looked like a mishmash of flea market type vendors--plastic hairclips and phone chargers hanging off the hanger?!?!? FOOD: I normally like going to various festivals b/c I get to try foods I normally can't find or get. Since when is Thai BBQ, Teriyaki rice bowls, hotlinks, garlic noodles, fries being culturally representative of "Carnaval"? They did have burritos, nachos, quesadillas, and tacos but I can also get that from Taco Bell or any taqueria so there's was nothing remotely special about that. Nothing looked appealing but the BBQ oysters and BBQ meats. OYSTERS: *4 oysters and for $9. The oysters were plump, juicy and sweet. They were topped with garlic and butter which I didn't taste much of. BBQ: NASTY! A stick of BBQ was $7. I got the pork and my friend got the chicken. The pork was hard, dry, chewy and completely flavorless; it was like "jerky" instead of meat. My friend's chicken was the same, dry and flavorless and he ended up tossing it. We also shared the Peking Burrito ($8) which was FAIL. It was dark chicken chunks, jasmine rice, carrots, cucumbers, hoison sauce wrapped with a spinach tortilla. The chicken was dry and flavorless, as was the rice. I love hoison sauce w/ duck but with dry chicken and rice, it was just an awful combo that didn't work together. DRINKS: It was impossible to find a vendor just for water or soda. It seemed only the taco trucks carried it. And, why-OH-why was beer only served in a cage?!?!? Meaning, if you wanted to drink, you were locked up in a square cage. BOO! Btw, there was nasty sewage water and mountains of garbage ALL over the place. Err, one set of trash cans per a block doesn't cut it at such a large gathering and they should have made sure there were enough receptacles to avoid this problem. Carnaval is suppose to be a celebration and appreciation of Latin culture, arts, music, and food, none of which I really saw. Instead, it was more of a Carna-MESS! read more

I missed the parade but walked around the day prior. There was a lot of great live music going on. Though I am 50% Cuban, I did not engage in the 'shake your hips' sway with all of the beautiful latin women, who were dancing to some band from Havana. Moms woulda been stoked. Instead I just ate my Chicken Wrap, looked at people trapped in Beer Garden, and wondered where the authentic food was. That's why it wasn't as good as it gets. This place must bring in some bad people because the cop was searching people like everyone was Mickey and Mallory Knox. " Whooooo's the lucky one?" So anyways the vibe here is very Non-SF ( a good thing) and I would recommend checking it out next year. Please don't serve asian and american food though, defeats the whole point of this festival. If you really want a legit Carnaval experience, try Antigua's version, unless drinking rum , being covered in blue paint, and dancing at 4 am is not your thing : ) read more

Some Grinches tried to steal Carnaval this year but the event prevailed for its 35th anniversary this year and the parade(especially participating in it) is still an awesome cultural celebration of Latino and African cultures right here in the Bay Area. It was thrilling to see so many multigenerational and multicultural families applauding the hundreds of dancers and musicians. I'm sure there was carousing but it seemed like a safe, fun, free event. No overt drunkeness or thuggishness; just a lot of smiles and cameras. Balancoire sponsored the Grandstand seats and there seemed to be plenty of space for folks to watch the parade. Yes, the parade takes a while. I was part of a 100+member contingent towards the end of the lineup so we did not make it to the festival area until 2pm(after a 10am start), I had previously attended the parade twice and the festival once. I did not stay for the festival this year but I highly recommend the parade. It's a Bay Area tradition and we should continue to support cultural expression. read more

I went to the Parade for Carnaval on Sun 5/30/10 & later the Festival. It supposedly started at 9:30am at 24th & Bryant, then West on Mission, ending at Mission & 16th. I was standing on Mission & 20th which I thought was pretty good for photos. They do put bars up so you can't cross over, but where I was they just put red tape that people kept going over & under to cross the street. Parade is really long & slow - I stayed from 10:20-12noon and still it was going. Tons of skimpy costumes that women wore shaking their booties, guys shirtless, Aztec dancers, school kids, Grand Marshals Benjamin Bratt & his brother Peter Bratt (they made the film "La Mission") Bart, low-rider car club, garbage workers, etc. Festival part was Sat & Sun 10-6 on Harrison St, between 16 & 23. They had security w/ wands to check for guns & such I guess. There was an area for beer, a few taco trucks, regular fair food like: funnel cakes, garlic fries, corn dog, thai kebob bbq, chicken terikaki rice bowl, Rosamunde Sausage on a french roll $6, Kara's Cupcake $3.25 cupcakes, etc. Some FREE stuff, but when I went lines were way too long to stand in the heat. Giants booth longest line. I got a sample of Funky Monkey dried apple w/ cinnamon. Worth going maybe once in your life. Bring earplugs!! Website: http://www.sfcatcarnaval.com/ read more

Carnaval festival?! It didnt look or feel like I was in Rio de Janeiro. Instead it was more like the San Jose Flea Market where booths sold trashy finds with carts of bacon onion hot dogs pan fried on a cookie pan. where are all the feather geared goddesses? None to be found here. I think if I attended the parade which was only on Sunday, I may had felt the celebration of Carnaval. SNOOZER. read more

My first Carnaval experience here in SF! The performance was excellent, I have never seen such wonderful exhibition of heritage, culture, and poise. The parade dancers were dressed in feathers of all colours imaginable. Simply awesome. The music was authentic and easy on the feet, everyone was swaying to the beats. Harrison road is blocked for stalls and here I found the most amazing pupusas. I went alone and I had an awesome time. Hats off to folks who organise and manage this event. I would highly recommend this event. Just a note of caution, since this is a free family event there are some people with babies. Also, outside the office blocked carnaval area there were folks drinking alcohol during the parade. There are designated caged areas for responsible drinking! read more

See all

Cloudy Cold or Sunshine .. This festival is a pleasure to capture.. Human Emotions is what I loved to capture . And you can see it here.. Proud of their culture in their dance n costume.. A Must to see read more

See all

Great event. Big crowds watching it. A great place to take photos of people in very colorful outfits dancing. I photographed this event for three years for Mission one Hour Photo. Try to get a VIP pass if you can so then you can walk with the parade without cops stopping you. Incredible energy. Music, lots of passion and joy. Awesome Mission District event. A yearly tradition. Get there early, watch the parade then enjoy the local food afterwards. read more

I missed the parade because it started so early in the morning! Come on 9:30am!!! Who wakes up that early on a Sunday? You have to go through security in order to enter the festival area. They have metal detectors...can we say Ghetto? Yes some of the people here are a little bit hood. No worries as long as there are no fights. I liked that there were multiple stages playing music. Tons of festival booths, of fried meat, garlic fries and tacos. Lots of people dancing on the streets. What I really didn't like is that people were so messy! Litter all over the place, spilt food all over the ground. Mad me sad to see how people treated the neighborhood. read more

This is a free event put on by volunteers, so I'mma try not to be a hater. The parade seemed insanely slow and disorganized. It started at 9:30 AM and when we arrived at 1:00 PM, it was still going on. The Rose Parade only takes two hours and it's miles longer than the route in the Mission! Food trucks? Meh. Merchandise vendors? Yay! Alcohol play pens? Boo! So, yeah, it's a decent way to waste a Sunday afternoon, just not amazing. read more

This is my first Carnaval parade! It's worth getting up early for :) One tip is to hang around in the parade route where the street is narrower for good picture. When they are on mission, they are more spread out The street fair is alright, nothing too special.. read more

See all

A fun annual festival in Mission on Harrison Street with music food and vendors in tents selling T-shirts, accessories, and art. I went on Saturday, so I missed the parade, but the event was fun. read more

See all

Fun event in SF , enjoyed the the Family. Street food was delicious , beautiful costumes and the DJs and Bands made the day a blast . I will come next year. read more

Carnaval San Francisco - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Mother Nature couldn't dampen the spirit of Sunday's 2009 San Francisco Carnaval Parade with her misty fog, her breezy winds or her cold air. It was another masterpiece as parades go. I had planned to take a few photos to share with a friend who moved to Spain a couple of months ago, but my index finger got the best of me. 1026 photos later ... I managed to delete some poor shots and get rid of others that looked similar. Some duplicated scenes still exist, but I didn't have the heart to delete them. Anyway, in case you missed the parade here is a glimpse of what my camera saw. 848 photos ... I hope you have some time to look at them all! http://www.flickr.com/photos/26-2milesandmore/sets/72157618766030516/ read more

This review is for the festival part. We came here on a Saturday. We where excited thought it was going to be a big festival it was more like a big flea market in the street food was ok, I thought there where going to to be a lot more Latin food then what they had there. It was like most other festival food but this on had a few Pupusas booths. There where a lot of jumpers and old rides for kids and the venders that where selling stuff in the street is the same stuff that is at the San Jose flea market. If your a beer drinker it you have to go in a cage and drink you beer that does not look fun at all, I use to festivals with beer or wine that you can walk around with. As we walked by most of the area where they had band are Djs playing music they where pretty empty bet they would have been more people dancing if you could walk around with alcohol beverages but a understand people can't handle it at some of these events and ruined it for us people that go there to have a good time and get along we everyone. We will try this again next year just for the parade and see how that goes. read more

See all

Carnaval scores a bit higher than other street fairs in the city because at least they have a parade that is pretty cool. Some of these other fairs are just a bunch of people herded together like cattle into a chain link fenced "pen" to drink beers, act stupid, buy the same crap you can get at any number of fairs and food that most of the time does not fit the theme or neighborhood they are held in. So, I guess what I am saying is I am not a big fan of most (not all) street fairs in our fine city. So why does this one score so high?? I had the pleasure of being invited to a kick ass party, 3 floors above the madness of the fair, hanging out with friends, dancing, eating, drinking mojitos and beer, people watching/flashing funny computer generated signs at the crowd below and being well taken care of by our awesome host. The highlight though? Frank fuckin' Chu was there! I got to spend a decent amount of time sitting at the kitchen table chatting it up with Frank about the 12 Galaxies over a few Coronas. If that doesn't make for a good Carnaval I don't know what does! read more

I like that this event didn't have alcohol(even though I needed a beer to help the hangover) as it was just way too crowded!!! Besides the music and dancing the stands were basic flea market stands. I didn't see too much Caribbean food more Asian than other booths really. They did have some stuff for the kids that looked pretty cool! I don't think I would come back to this event again. read more

Note: The parade is great. Unfortunately how bad the rest of this is kind of overshadows it. =( This is on my street and it's awful. Giant Best Buy tents and Comcast booths and other corporate shilling, along with awful air-brush t-shirt stands and imported plastic crud. Nothing to do with a true Carnaval festival whatsoever beyond a few bands and dancers, just an excuse to Sell More Random Stuff on the street. Moreover - and I know this is my own personal grudge, but I can't help it - resident access rights are an utter nightmare. We had to argue with the gate guards every. single. time. we wanted to enter on 18th St. (after parking in our Carnaval assigned weekend space behind our apartment building), so we wouldn't have to go four blocks out of our way on foot and stand in an entry line. At one point a SFPD officer even had to step in to ask the rent-a-guards to let us get to our home! If this was a real cultural festival that would be awesome and I'd be much happier about giving up my street access for it, but the way it is now is just cheap and kind of embarrassing. read more

One of the worst street fairs that the city has, possibly worse than the Union Street Fair. 3 Days from H _ _ _ _ when residents are subjected to non-stop drum circles, music stages, tacky made in China merchandise, lousy food in general and hordes of people invading the 'hood, let's not mention the fact that we're not allowed to use our garages, the streets are littered with trash, food, urine etc... It's so unpopular that the merchants on 24th Street petitioned and succeeded in having it removed from their street this year! Need I say more????!!! read more

It was my first time at Carnaval and I had a great time. Plus its free to get in, which is awesome. The festival stretches a good 5-6 blocks and there's a parade up on Mission. I missed the parade but I got to check out all the food vendors, booths, and musical performances. It was a nice turnout and the weather was perfect. Some of the food vendors had Thai BBQ plates, Indian food, garlic fries, pupusas, mixed fruit cups, mexican food, ice cream and more! I got to try out some free sample refreshments along the way. Also people were giving away free stuff like the Disney booth, Giants booth and Macy's were giving out discount coupons. Lots of booths contained local businesses. Also school yards were used for batting and basketball areas for the kids. Awesome stuff. Check out the website for the next Carnaval. Cheers! read more

Super Lame. Maybe the parade is worthwhile but the rest of the "event" was extra boring. The vendors were the same here as for any other festival. The music was decent. You have to park far far away. Good thing it was free but my dog almost got stepped on so I can't say it was worth my $0. read more

I am commenting on the street fair. not the parade. Yes, disorganized, dirty, and - basically - boring. Overall, a really bad, really overcrowded, miminal-effort affair. Very little evidence, except for one of the stages (the one at the north end - the one that was normally too crowded to get anywhere near) that this event had anything like a "Carnaval" spirit to it. Several stages, a small number of overworked food stands, a small number of vaguely craft-y places, a big pavilion for selling cell phones, etc. With thousands of people milling about. Maybe one person in a hundred had any costuming going. Go to the parade, but skip the fair. PS - Nothing of interest for children. read more

As a resident of the neighborhood, I despise this event for several reasons. 1. It's just WAY too long. A parade AND two days of festival? Most other festivals in the city manage in a single day. 2. The organizers do not show respect for their neighbors and treat us with contempt. We were told "it's only two days just shut up and deal" when complaining about the extreme volume at a stage near our home. 3. The suburbanites and bangers that come into the neighborhood acting like they own it blocking driveways and behaving rudely. 4. Vandalism in the neighborhood increases exponentially during this festival. 5. The music starts WAY too early and WAY too loudly. It reverberates throughout the neighborhood buildings and streets making phone conversations in your home sometimes impossible. 6. It's not a very interesting festival. The food vendors are not terribly good or diverse (standard meat on a stick folks), and there is very little artistic merit or local feel to what is displayed. 7. It is impossible for us to get in/out of our own neighborhood during this fair with our car. Our street is invariably blocked off and the rude "guards" hired by the fair refused to let us into our own street last year (even with ID showing our address) until we summoned a uniformed police officer who forced them to do so. Great neighbor relations. 8. It seems there are never enough porta-potties. There's enough poo/pee on our streets as it is. This also increases exponentially during this fair. Eeeeeeew!! In short the organizers do not value their neighbors even though their "fair" claims to celebrate the Mission. They only care about their profits. Several of the neighborhood restaurants actually close during this weekend because it's just too difficult to do business. Enough said. read more

I was really looking to forward to this, but I was sorely disappointed by the lack of cultural exposure, festivity, and celebration. This was mainly just blocks of vendors selling their wares to unsuspecting individuals, tourists, and people looking to spend money. Out of all of the food vendors, there were maybe 2 or 3 selling authentic Latin American cuisine, and even that was just your basic fare. This was mostly an excuse for many people to get drunk and lift up their shirts to expose their belly flab in public. After about half an hour, I grew really tired of all the teens or 20-something year-olds grabbing their crotches, sagging their pants, and using profanity every other word when speaking. It wasn't even creative profanity! Come on! read more