SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH  7 PM

Join us as we embark on a journey to select the 2015 Carnaval King & Queen. The winners of the competition will be crowned as King and Queen of the 37th Annual Carnaval San Francisco Parade and Festival: Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 23 to May 24, 2015. Contest winners will serve as the Official Ambassadors at the Carnaval San Francisco Grand Parade and win a $500 cash prize!

ABOUT OUR 2014 QUEEN VALENCIA NEWTON

Born of African American/Puerto Rican descent in Oakland, California, Valencia Newton was adopted by the Trinidad and Tobago community at an early age. She became immersed in the Carnaval culture since her preteen years. Valencia has trained with various Caribbean groups such as J'ouvert, Islands of Fire, Malick Folk Performing Company, Embacadere Travelers. In addition she has performed with world–renowned drummers Val Serrant, Swadi, Tumani, Hugh and others for many years; as well as experienced Afro Brazilian dance in the Bay Area and Salvador, Bahia. Newton studied at New York University and graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare and Dance, and hopes to further her studies by receiving a Masters in Social Work and Fine Arts.

Valencia has been co–lead dancer and choreographer for Trinidadian group Sistas–Wit–Style Folk Performance Dance Company for the past 13 years. Sistas–Wit–Style is an Oakland–based Folk Performing Dance Company, founded in October 2000, by Merissa Lyons, and Kianna Rachal, managed by Annabelle Goodridge, later accompanied by Valencia Newton in December 2001. They are dedicated to providing youth, teens, & adults with a Caribbean cultural experience that enables them to make a difference through dance, and have received commendations from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the State of California Board of Directors, and the City of Oakland for their achievements in promoting pride, dignity, self–esteem, and leadership with Sistas–Wit–Style, www.sistas–wit–style.com. Valencia continues teaching dance and academics to children, youth and adults at New Karibbean City in Oakland, Saturdays 12–2pm and also assists in Carnaval costume–making at the Mas Camp, 5859 Mac Arthur Blvd. Oakland, open daily after 4pm.

ABOUT OUR 2014 KING DELVIS SAVIGNE FRIÑON

Delvis was born in Santiago, Cuba. He is a graduate of the Jose Maria Heredia Academy of Art with a degree in Contemporary and Folkloric Cuban dance. He was evaluated by the national court and gained the place of soloist for his advance dance technique. In Cuba, he danced professionally with Danza del Caribe Dance Company. Since moving to the States, he has danced with Kim Epiphano, Dance Brigade, Arenas Dance Company, Nicole Klaymoon's Embodiment Project and Alayo Dance Company.

“I have been participating in los Carnavales of Santiago, Cuba, since I was 10 years old,” said Friñon. He studied dance and music Carnaval traditions of Conga and Comparsa. He has also danced in El Festival del Caribe, a festival that is held every July in Santiago and dedicated to the traditions of Caribbean countries.

Read more about the Carnaval San Francisco 2014 King & Queen Competition here.

Sponsored by:

Photo courtesty of Max Koo

LECTURE SERIES EVENT WITH MULTI–GRAMMY NOMINEE AND SF JAZZ RESIDENT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOHN SANTOS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 7 – 9 PM

ADMISSION:
SFJAZZ/MoAD/YBG Festival Members: $15/class or $80/series
Public: $20/class or $100/series
TICKETS: SFJazz.org
INFO: 866.920.5299

The collective community expressions and activities associated with Carnaval and Rumba are at the very core of Afro-Latinidad. They are at once the popular evolution and amalgamation of distinct African art forms, and the root of Cuban working class expression as expressed in contemporary dance music.

This is Week 4 of a 6–week lecture series. SFJAZZ continues this dynamic program co–presented by the Museum of the African Diaspora in partnership with our friends at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. In working-class Afro–Latin communities, nothing surpasses music in terms of cultural expression and documentation. Self-identity, education, resistance, escapism, and the concept of our history in our own voices are all embedded in the text and sub-text of traditional and popular Afro-Latin music. In this six–week lecture series, multi–Grammy nominee and SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director John Santos will focus on how a wide range of Cuban and Puerto Rican music addresses these issues. Recorded music, slides and videos will form the foundation for the lectures with ample Q&A.

TUESDAY, MARCH 4TH 6 – 9 PM

ADMISSION IS FREE
RSVP: mma@prolocal-sf.com
INFO: 415.206.0577

All three locations will be welcoming our neighbors and merchants to join us in celebrating Fat Tuesday in true Carnaval SF style! We will have live samba drummers and dancers winding their way through the three party locations, as well as live dancing by Hot Pink Feathers! Live music from New Orleans style “FatCat” will be at the Make Out Room and The Mission All Stars & Dancers will be performing at the Latin American Club! Beads, masks and fun for everyone! There will be raffles for Giants tickets and an opportunity to sign up to volunteer for Carnaval San Francisco! Don’t miss the fun! Come meet your neighbors and make new friends at the Annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebration in the Mission! Wear your costumes, masks & beads and join Loco Bloco as they entertain between clubs!

FRIDAY, MARCH 7TH  8 PM

Do you wanna have real fun? Join SambaFunk! for their Spring Carnaval Kick-off party. Past 2nd place winners of San Francisco Carnaval in the Contemporary/Fusion category, SambaFunk! will provide you an event you will never forget. Enjoy live drumming with the Funkytime Playas Bateria and music by DJ Juan Love.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH  7 – 10 PM

Join the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts at our fundraiser to support our Carnaval Contingent. Enjoy a night of dancing and great food featuring music by Adelante, DJ Rosa Rumorosa, and this year's choregraphy director, Brenda Perdue. All proceeds will go to support our contingent and help cover some of the costs to make this participation possible.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5TH 5 – 8 PM

Sistas–Wit–Style & Associates Carnival band is celebrating our 10 year anniversary in San Francisco Carnival. Our theme this year is "Caribbean Gladiators" symbolizing our strength and perserverance over the years. Come and enjoy some great Caribbean food and music, drinks and dancing at Liege Lounge in Downtown Oakland!

SATURDAY, APRIL 12TH

Join us for a colorful evening of Andean music and dance (you dance too!).  Performances to include groups Ajayu, Anqari, The Luis Valverde Dance Company among others.  Good food and beverages available for donations.  Entry includes one free beverage to get you started.  All ages welcome!

SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH 6:30PM – 10:30 PM

Enjoy an evening of dinner, dancing, a silent auction, free parking, no host bar, festive cocktail attire and live performances by LOCO BLOCO & BAYONICS.

Loco Bloco was founded in 1994 by artists and activist of color as a response to the ever growing funding cuts of arts programs in schools. Loco Bloco’s goal then and now is to provide low–income, minority and immigrant families access to professional level arts education as a means to support the advancement and empowerment of Bay Area youth. For the past 20 years, thousands of Bay Area youth, ages 3–25, have participated in after school classes, summer camps, international exchanges/tours, and our annual self–produced events and community performances.

SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH 6:00PM

SF International Arts Festival & the School of Music & Dance at SF State University to present an exclusive Bay Area engagement with the legendary Cuban music ensemble Orquesta Aragón from Havana, Cuba.

Orquesta Aragón has been a cornerstone of Cuban culture for seven decades, prospering in the heady, profligate days before Fidel Castro came to power and then thriving after the revolution transformed the country’s music industry. Through all the personnel, stylistic and political changes, Aragón has kept its focus, spreading irresistible Cuban rhythms around the world. Always looking to make dancers happy, the band has cultivated a highly flexible approach that allows it to keep up with changing fashions while staying true to its basic sound.

Led by accomplished violinist and musical director Rafael Lay, Jr. and with a creative range from danzon, son, cha-cha-chá, and more, Orquesta Aragón’s classic charanga form their distinctive sound based on traditional son with its African rhythm section and Spanish melodies, over which they added flutes and violins.

The importance of Orquesta Aragón to Cuban Music is similar to that of Duke Ellington or Count Basie to American Jazz. Orquesta Aragón's extraordinary adventure began in September 1939 when bass player Orestes Aragón Cantero brought his small charanga to Cienfuegos for their debut. This Charanga group has gone on to become one of Cuba’s most treasured cultural entities with a reputation as one of the foremost interpreters of classic Cuban popular songs.

Known for such hits as “El Bodeguero,” “La Gloria Eres Tu,” and “Calculadora,” the group has performed in prestigious venues all around the world – Carnegie Hall in New York, Olympia Theatre in Paris, and Tchaikovsky’s Theatre of Russia. They can be heard live regularly on Radio Progreso in Havana.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH  7 PM

Just Announced! Carnaval 2014 King and Queen judges include Regina "Califa" Calloway, Jesus Cortes, Jacque Barnes, Tomi Seon and Joti Singh.

Join us as we embark on a journey to select the 2014 Carnaval King & Queen. The winners of the competition will be crowned as King and Queen of the 36th Annual Carnaval San Francisco Parade and Festival: Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 24 to May 25, 2014. Contest winners will serve as the Official Ambassadors at the Carnaval San Francisco Grand Parade and win a $500 cash prize!

• Evening hosted by Betty Pazmino
• Featuring performances by Abada Capoeria and Maisa Duke's Energia do Samba!
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• Watch as these fabulous contestants compete for the crown:
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• Vanessa Carias
• Cherylee Abiva "Bamboo" from Hot Pink Feathers
• Noemi Longoia and Juliano Wade from Muito Quente
• Halima Mandee from Samba Funk!
• Acacia Gonsalves
• Shari Hicks and Nick Bretley from Samba Funk!
• Isaiah Boyd and Stephanie Bastos from Grupo Tania Santiago
• Meredith MacFayden from Samba Para o Povo
• Aimee Zawitz
• Shaneeka Smoot "Akemi" from Loco Bloco
• Delvis Frinon and Fredrika Keefer
• Lindsay Parkinson
• Valencia Newton and Dave Dickenson from Sistas Wit Style
• Tory Teasley from Samba Funk!
• MzClymaxxx

Our 2013 Queen Veronica Alexandra Howard Soto was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and relocated to San Francisco in 2009 to work as a travel nurse. She has since made San Francisco her home. Veronica is a member of the Latin Dance Grooves/ODC/ Rhythm & Motion Carnaval contingent, led by Elizabeth Soberanes and Bianca Coleman. Veronica loves to dance and study different styles of afro–Latin dance and music. Dance is her way of celebrating love, joy and life.

Our 2013 King Jean Cedric Ndzomo was born and raised in Cameroon, Africa and moved to the United Stares with his family in 2004. His passion and love for culture, languages and education led to a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Business. He relocated to San Francisco to complete his Master’s Thesis in International Studies. His goal is to become an ambassador for his country. He dances many tribal African dances from Bikutsi to Ben–siki. He recently joined Latin Dance Grooves where he enjoys learning many styles of afro–Latin dance. He says that dancing is a way from him to come out of his shell.

Sponsored by:

Photo courtesty of Max Koo

THURSDAY, MAY 1ST 6 –  10 PM

The EXPLORATORIUM

PURCHASE TICKETS

¡Viva Carnaval! Inspired by the long–running Carnaval San Francisco, After Dark brings the noise—and explores colorful aspects of this rich local tradition. Now in its 36th year, Carnaval San Francisco is the largest multicultural festival on the West Coast, reflecting the distinct character of its native Mission District while showcasing a panoply of Latin American and Caribbean arts and traditions. Themed “La Rumba de la Copa Mundial—Celebration of the World Cup,” this year’s festival takes place over Memorial Day weekend, May 23–25.

With the help of community organizer, Carnaval Executive Producer, and guest curator Roberto Hernandez, the Exploratorium honors the spirit of this San Francisco institution with an evening of music, dance, and interactive pageantry.

Get a kick out of the science of soccer (fútbol!) with Exploratorium physicists Paul Doherty and Pearl Tesler, or make your moves with samba and zumba lessons. Join a drum circle to experience drumming styles from Trinidad, Brazil, and elsewhere in the Americas while learning the history of different drums. Cheer on Carnaval contingents from 2013, and join Roberto Hernandez to hear how the festival has grown from a few hundred participants in 1978 to a few hundred thousand today. You can also build instruments for this year’s parade with Explorables volunteers, take a mask-making workshop, and parade in costumes from previous years. Don’t miss this Exploratorium take on a treasured Latino and Caribbean celebration—one of San Francisco’s best.

Carnaval San Francisco is an opportunity for many cultures to come together in one spirit to share their creative expression. Their 3–day event starts with Carnaval San Francisco at the San Francisco Giants Orange Friday, and continues with a FREE 2–day festival in San Francisco’s Mission District (on Harrison Street, between 16th and 24th Streets) on Saturday and Sunday offering global cuisine, international music, dance, arts and crafts, and other fun activities for the entire family to enjoy, culminating in the famous Grand Parade on Sunday.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7TH 7 –  9 PM

MISSION CULTURAL CENTER

PURCHASE TICKETS (Cut off for on–line tickets is midnight, May 4.)

It's Carnaval time! Roberto Borrell explores the rhythms, music and history of Cuban Carnaval. This will be a two–hour interactive workshop including videos, music, and dance.

Produced by Mission Cultural Center and Cuban Music Project

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14TH 6 PM

CHACHACHA

An official Pre–Carnaval Party celebration and benefit. A salute to the hundreds of Carnaval Volunteers. Welcome the newly–crowned Carnaval King & Queen. Jorge Alabe and a thunderous Rio–rooted bateria rocks Chachacha at 8pm. Percentage of bar revenue supports Carnaval. Free admission.

Bar proceeds benefit Carnaval San Francisco.

FRIDAY, MAY 23RD 10 PM—1 AM

ADMISSION $10

JORGEALABE.COM

Grupo Samba Rio, led by the great Brazilian percussionist Jorge Alabe, is hosting a pre-Carnaval party, and everyone is invited! We're celebrating our biggest Carnaval contingent ever, including collaboration with Maisa Duke & Energia do Samba in the parade.

Don't miss the party featuring Pagode with Jorge Alabe & special guests, Grupo Samba Rio Bateria Nota 10, Energia do Samba dancers, and guest performance by Mafacatu Pacifico

FRIDAY, MAY 23RD   Minnesota Twins at 7:15 PM

SEALS PLAZA PRE–GAME FESTIVAL  5PM

PARADE ON THE FIELD   7PM

AT&T PARK

PURCHASE TICKETS — BUY NOW AND LOCK IN YOUR SEATS!

The Giants and Carnaval San Francisco would like to invite you and your family and friends to a Friday evening pre–game party at 5:00 PM AT&T Park! With the 2014 Carnaval San Francisco taking place the Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, what better way to kick–off the fun than by experiencing some of the same flavor you will see at Carnaval in the Mission District!

• SPECIAL EVENT TICKET PACKAGE INCLUDES:
• Ticket to the Friday evening interleague game versus the Twins
• Admission to pregame Carnaval San Francisco Performance and Show in Seals Plaza from 5pm–7pm
• Cultural food and drink specials available for purchase
• Cultural music and entertainment
• Collector’s–edition Carnaval–themed Giants scarf!
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• Receive the Official Collectors–edition Carnaval-themed Giants scarf:

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• Partial proceeds from every ticket sold benefit cultural non–profits in the community.

Finding parking can be difficult in San Francisco so we have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow visitors to purchase guaranteed parking at several convenient locations near AT&T Park. Once purchased, parking passes are emailed instantly and guarantee you access to your selected location. Parking is very limited and locations fill up, so we strongly recommend that you reserve your 100% guaranteed parking space now!

Carnaval Night at SF Giants Orange Friday Parking Passes

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 24TH – 25TH  

ADMISSION IS FREE

HARRISON STREET BETWEEN 24TH & 16TH STREETS

Come celebrate with us at the 36th annual Carnaval San Francisco, a FREE 2–day family festival in San Francisco’s Mission District over Memorial Day weekend, May 24 and May 25th, 2014 — on Harrison Street between 16th and 24th Streets — and experience global cuisine, international music, dance, arts & crafts, and other fun activities and entertainment on every street corner for the entire family to enjoy. Carnaval San Francisco is the largest multi-cultural celebration on the West Coast.

Finding parking can be difficult in San Francisco so we have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow visitors to purchase guaranteed parking at several convenient locations near the Family Festival and The Grand Parade Route. Once purchased, parking passes are emailed instantly and guarantee you access to your selected location. Parking is very limited and locations fill up, so we strongly recommend that you reserve your 100% guaranteed parking space now!

Single Day Family Festival Parking Passes

Weekend Parking Passes

SUNDAY, MAY 25TH  10 AM

ADMISSION IS FREE

On Sunday, May 25, 2014 the Grand Parade starts at 9:30am at the corner of 24th and Bryant Streets, where it will proceed West to Mission Street. From there, the parade heads North on Mission down to 17th Street, where it will turn East and flow into the Festival area.

GRANDSTAND SEATING & VIP PARTY

Thanks to your support, Grandstand Seating VIP tickets are sold out. Enjoy the show and we'll see you there!

Photo courtesty of Alex Mizuno

Finding parking can be difficult in San Francisco so we have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow visitors to purchase guaranteed parking at several convenient locations near the Family Festival and The Grand Parade Route. Once purchased, parking passes are emailed instantly and guarantee you access to your selected location. Parking is very limited and locations fill up, so we strongly recommend that you reserve your 100% guaranteed parking space now!

Single Day Family Grand Parade Parking Passes

Weekend Parking Passes

SUNDAY, MAY 25TH  5 PM — 10PM

One of the best Jazz clubs in San Francisco, Savanna Jazz is located at 2937 Mission Street between 25th and 26th. At Savanna Jazz, the warm colors and soft lighting bring back memories of a time of enchanting melodies, with a swing feel that bounces everlastingly, The cozy atmosphere and melodious musical ambiance envelops the listeners during dinner and provides for swing dancing later on in the evening,The walls depict the visual history of an American art form and its innovators revered the world over.