Carnaval San Francisco parade draws thousands with World Cup theme

Thousands of people flooded the streets of the Mission District on Sunday for the annual Carnaval San Francisco parade, an exuberant celebration of Latin American cultural heritage and the arrival of the FIFA World Cup. 

This year’s theme, “La Copa del Pueblo,” or “The People’s Cup,” sought  to embrace the “global rhythm” of the game, organizers said — from soccer played in city streets to World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium. The Santa Clara venue is set to host six games from June 13 to July 1. 

On Saturday and Sunday, all Carnaval attendees were invited to play on a smaller field: La Plaza del Fútbol, a pop-up soccer arena at Harrison and 20th streets. Soccer players and fans of all ages were invited to take part in scrimmages, skill building and fan experiences with Bay Area soccer teams Bay FC, the San Jose Earthquakes and Oakland Roots, among others. 

Led by Brazilian soccer great Romário, the parade began at Bryant and 24th streets and wound more than 20 blocks through San Francisco’s Latino Cultural District. Marchers clad in bright skirts and feathered headdresses danced, waved flags and blasted Latin music, drawing people to their windows or out to the street. 

Onlookers climbed onto benches and bus shelters for a better view over the dense crowd lining Mission Street. Four-year-old Luna Cruz perched on top of a utility box, covering her ears. The dozens of honking antique cars and custom lowriders that began the procession were her favorite part of Carnaval, she said.

“It’s nice to see every part of Latin America represented in a couple blocks,” said her father, Sal Cruz. “My parents immigrated here in the ’60s, and since then, the Mission has become this really nice mix of San Franciscos.” 

Performers tossed beads, candy and small medals into the crowd, a nod to the World Cup theme. Other marchers dribbled soccer balls through the streets or rolled waist-high inflatable balls alongside them. Many donned soccer jerseys in honor of the day, representing the national teams of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. 

“The theme this year makes sense,” said Juan Carlos Riviera, who’s lost track of the number of Carnaval parades he’s watched in the Mission. “It’s only 15 days to the World Cup. I’m excited. I hope the U.S. and Mexico do well.”  

More than 60 contingents and hundreds of performers were featured in the parade, including the king and queen of Carnaval, dancers Chris Cornelious and Mizzy Ng. 

Their route headed west to Mission Street before turning east on 15th Street and ending at South Van Ness Avenue. Some bus lines were rerouted to accommodate the parade, and both the 24th and 16th Street BART stations were a short walk from the route.

Standing on the sidelines in a long, rainbow skirt, Stephani Murdoch squinted into the crowd for her daughter, who was performing with her dance troupe. 

“I just flew in from Pennsylvania this morning to see my daughter,” Murdoch said. “I love the whole thing — the vendors, the people, the time that’s put into everything. She started practicing months ago.” 

Raymond DeNardi came from South San Francisco for his first Carnaval. He and his friend Demetrius Alvarez wore pink T-shirts to serve as “the spirit section” of their friends’ samba group. “We’ll just be keeping the vibes up,” DeNardi said. 

It was also the first Carnaval for Noemi Hernandez, the baby daughter of Sabrina and Jason Hernandez. The family left Sacramento at 7 a.m. Sunday to secure a parking spot on an alley off 24th Street, where they’ve watched the parade for the past four years. 

“I love to see all the clothes and the different Latino cultures,” said Sabrina, who predicted that Noemi would soon be walking in the parade herself. “It’s her first of many.”