Memorial Day weekend festival and parade

Carnaval San Francisco is scheduled to return to the Mission District on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, with a free two-day street festival and a Sunday parade tied to Memorial Day weekend. Organizers say the 48th annual event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days along Harrison Street between 16th and 24th streets. The Grand Parade is set for Sunday at 10 a.m., beginning at 24th and Bryant and continuing along Mission Street to 15th Street, according to Carnaval San Francisco and city event listings. The festival is one of San Francisco's largest annual neighborhood street events, with city and tourism agencies describing it as a major multicultural celebration in the Mission. ### Where exactly is the festival happening? Harrison Street between 16th and 24th streets is the main festival footprint, according to Carnaval San Francisco, SF.gov and San Francisco Travel. Organizers say the event covers 17 blocks in the Mission District and includes multiple stages, food stands and community activity areas. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) SF.gov says the festival is free to attend. The city's event page and the official Carnaval site list programming on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ### What is planned during the two-day street festival? Five main stages, hundreds of vendors and dozens of local performers are part of the weekend lineup, according to the official festival page and city listings. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) Carnaval San Francisco says the event will feature international food, dancing, family entertainment and community programming. The numbers vary slightly across official and affiliated listings. The Carnaval website says the festival includes five main stages, 50 local performing artists and 400 vendors, while SF.gov says it will have five main stages, 60 local performing artists and 300 vendors. Both describe the event as a free, family-oriented celebration. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) ### Where does the Sunday parade start and where does it go? Sunday, May 24, is the date of the Grand Parade, and organizers say it starts at 10 a.m. at 24th and Bryant. The official Carnaval site says the procession then moves west to Mission Street and continues north on Mission to 15th Street. KQED's event guide for 2026 also describes the parade as part of the Mission District celebration and reports that the route begins at 24th and Bryant. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) That account matches the official route description published by organizers. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) ### How big is this event? SF.gov says more than 400,000 people attend Carnaval San Francisco each year. The city describes it as the largest and longest-running multicultural celebration in California. San Francisco Travel says the 2026 theme is "La Copa del Pueblo," or "The People's Cup," linking this year's event to soccer culture ahead of the World Cup period. (kqed.org) That description comes from tourism and event materials rather than an independent attendance audit. ### What should readers watch for next? (sf.gov) May 23 is the opening day of the street festival, with programming beginning at 11 a.m. on Harrison Street. May 24 is the parade day, with the procession starting at 10 a.m. at 24th and Bryant before the festival continues through 6 p.m., according to organizers and SF.gov. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) (sftravel.com)