carnavalsanfrancisco.org
Carnaval San Francisco 2026
48th annual two-day festival in the Mission District — 17 blocks, 5 stages, free admission. Theme: La Copa del Pueblo.
SF Bay Area Tech Events: May 23–24
9 events for Memorial Day weekend: Carnaval SF anchors Sat–Sun, plus nightlife, SFMOMA free day, and a Bay boat party.
Memorial Day weekend slows the tech calendar down, but it pulls something bigger into the foreground. Carnaval SF — free, two days, and 17 blocks long in the Mission District — is the main event this Saturday and Sunday. Beyond that: a sunset boat party on the Bay, rooftop R&B and ribs, French house disco, a cosplay arcade night in Oakland, a free SFMOMA day, and an Asian night market in Daly City. Saturday evening also has a bar crawl if you want to keep moving after the festival.
Coverage window: tonight (Saturday, May 23) and tomorrow (Sunday, May 24).
Status note — Scalekit × Apify × Entire.io Hackathon: Featured in yesterday's article as the all-day Saturday event, this build day at Entrepreneurs First has since flipped to EVENT FULL (waitlist available at lu.ma/hgje3k5a). 1 If you're on the list, see yesterday's entry for the full schedule; if not, the waitlist is open.
The weekend anchor — Carnaval San Francisco 2026
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday May 23 + Sunday May 24, 2026 |
| Festival hours | 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM both days |
| Grand Parade (Sun only) | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, KPIX live broadcast |
| Venue | Harrison Street between 16th & 24th Streets, Mission District, SF |
| Host | Carnaval San Francisco (nonprofit, 48th edition) |
| Category | Cultural festival — Latin American / Caribbean / Afro-diasporic |
| Access | FREE — all entrances open to public |
| Transit | BART to 16th St Mission or 24th St Mission; do not drive |
| Info | carnavalsanfrancisco.org |
The 48th edition of Carnaval SF spans 17 blocks of Harrison Street, with 5 main stages, 50+ local performing artists, and 400+ vendors. 3 This year's theme is "La Copa del Pueblo" — a celebration of soccer timed to the 2026 World Cup, which the Bay Area is co-hosting. The festival includes La Plaza del Fútbol at 20th & Harrison: a street soccer arena with 3v3 and 5v5 scrimmages, skill workshops, and appearances by Bay FC, Oakland Roots, SF City FC, and the San Jose Earthquakes. 3
Saturday headliner: Su Majestad Mi Banda El Mexicano de Casimiro plays the 22nd & Harrison stage at 5:00 PM — an iconic Mexican banda group known for fusing traditional percussion with electronic production. 3 Sunday's Grand Parade starts at 24th & Bryant at 10:00 AM and runs north on Mission Street to 15th — 70+ contingents (comparsas), with Grand Marshals King Chris Cornelious and Queen Mizzy Ng leading. 2
Grandstand elevated bleacher seats along the parade route are sold separately (pre-sale only; not available on the day). Everything else is free. Muni lines 22, 33, 55, 48, 9, 12, 14, 14R, and 49 are rerouted during the festival — BART is the reliable option. 2
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Tonight — Saturday, May 23
SF Memorial Day Weekend Bar Crawl
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 8:00 PM PDT (~3 hours) |
| Venue | Nob Hill → Union Square (exact check-in point in ticket confirmation) |
| Host | Pub Crawl San Francisco |
| Category | Social / nightlife |
| Access | Paid — $19.50 early bird, $26.50 general; space is limited |
| Register | pubcrawlsanfrancisco.com |
Four bars and clubs across Nob Hill and Union Square, ending at what the organizer calls SF's top downtown nightclub. 4 Tickets include VIP fast-track entry at each stop, exclusive drink deals, and free shots along the route. A hosted guide leads the group throughout.
If you're catching Carnaval until 6:00 PM, the timing works — there's a two-hour gap before the crawl starts.
Plus Arcade Memorial Day Cosplay & Gaming Party ⚠️ Oakland
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 PM – 2:00 AM PDT |
| Venue | Hella Bees, 2340 Harrison St, Oakland |
| Host | Plus Arcade |
| Category | Themed party — cosplay / gaming / anime |
| Access | Paid — $16.78 general admission; 21+ |
| Register | eventbrite.com |
Gaming, anime, cosplay, and hip hop at a bar venue in Oakland. 5 The lowest ticket price of the weekend for a nightlife event. ⚠️ Venue is in Oakland — plan transport accordingly.
Tomorrow — Sunday, May 24
SFMOMA Free Community Day
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT |
| Venue | SFMOMA, 151 3rd St, San Francisco |
| Host | San Francisco Museum of Modern Art |
| Category | Museum / arts — free day |
| Access | FREE — advance RSVP required; all ages |
| Register | sfmoma.org |
Free admission to all galleries, including the current special exhibition Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal. 6 RSVP is required in advance — walk-ins are not guaranteed entry.
A good pairing with Sunday's Grand Parade: SFMOMA is about a mile from the parade endpoint at 15th & Mission.
R&B and Ribs SF — rooftop party
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM PDT |
| Venue | SVN West Rooftop, 10 S Van Ness Ave, San Francisco |
| Host | R&B and Ribs / 15Utah |
| Category | Themed party — music / food / social |
| Access | Paid — tickets via Eventbrite |
| Register | thecityribs.eventbrite.com |
Daytime rooftop party combining DJ sets, R&B music, and barbecue on the SVN West rooftop. 7 Runs from early afternoon into early evening — good for those who want to be done before the nightlife-only events kick off.
Doc Martin: Memorial Day Boat Party
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Boarding | 6:30 PM PDT |
| Boat party | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PDT |
| Afterparty | 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM (The Alchemist, 679 3rd St, SF) |
| Venue | China Basin Ferry Terminal (pier behind Oracle Park), San Francisco |
| Host | Halcyon SF |
| Category | Themed party — boat / EDM / nightlife |
| Access | Paid — from $78.28 via DICE; 21+ only |
| Register | DICE |
Sunset sail around San Francisco Bay with Doc Martin (techno/electronic DJ) headlining, supported by Nile and Marie. 8 9 After docking, the party continues at The Alchemist (an 8-minute walk from the pier) with Doc Martin back on from 10:00 PM.
Daft Disko Memorial Day Sunday
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | Doors 9:00 PM PDT |
| Venue | Bella, 316 11th St, San Francisco (below Audio Nightclub) |
| Host | Orlove by Night |
| Category | Themed party — French house / disco |
| Access | Paid — $25.67; 21+ only |
| Register | Funcheap listing |
French house and disco night drawing from Daft Punk, Justice, Cassius, and Modjo. 10 DJs: Le Magnifiqué (Meikee Magnetic) and Sensitif. At Bella, the venue below Audio Nightclub on 11th Street.
Also noted this weekend
Two additional options covered more briefly:
- FoodieLand Night Market ⚠️ Daly City — Saturday May 23 & Sunday May 24, 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Cow Palace (2600 Geneva Ave, Daly City). Asian-inspired outdoor night market with ~200 vendors: global food, artisan goods, carnival games, live music. $12 admission (kids 5 and under free), parking $10. 11
- Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: Las Cafeteras — Saturday May 23, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM, Yerba Buena Gardens Great Lawn (Mission St between 3rd & 4th). Free outdoor concert. Las Cafeteras plays Afro-Mexican son jarocho fused with electronic beats. Free with RSVP. 12
Quick-reference
| Event | Day | Time (PDT) | Location | Access | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnaval SF 2026 — Festival | Sat + Sun | 11 AM – 6 PM | Harrison St, Mission District, SF | Free | carnavalsanfrancisco.org |
| Carnaval SF — Grand Parade | Sun 5/24 | 10 AM – 2 PM | 24th & Bryant → 15th & Mission, SF | Free | carnavalsanfrancisco.org |
| Yerba Buena Gardens: Las Cafeteras | Sat 5/23 | 2:00 – 4:30 PM | Yerba Buena Gardens, SF | Free RSVP | Funcheap |
| SF Memorial Day Bar Crawl | Sat 5/23 | 8:00 PM | Nob Hill → Union Square, SF | $19.50–$26.50 | pubcrawlsanfrancisco.com |
| Plus Arcade Cosplay Party ⚠️ | Sat 5/23 | 9 PM – 2 AM | Hella Bees, Oakland | $16.78 | Eventbrite |
| SFMOMA Free Community Day | Sun 5/24 | 10 AM – 5 PM | 151 3rd St, SF | Free RSVP | sfmoma.org |
| R&B and Ribs SF — Rooftop | Sun 5/24 | 2:00 – 8:00 PM | SVN West Rooftop, 10 S Van Ness, SF | Paid | Eventbrite |
| Doc Martin: Boat Party | Sun 5/24 | 7:00 – 10:00 PM + afterparty | China Basin Ferry Terminal, SF | From $78.28 | DICE |
| Daft Disko Memorial Day | Sun 5/24 | Doors 9:00 PM | Bella, 316 11th St, SF | $25.67 | Funcheap |
| FoodieLand Night Market ⚠️ | Sat + Sun | 1:00 – 10:00 PM | Cow Palace, Daly City | $12 | cowpalace.com |
⚠️ = outside SF proper. Verify times, capacity, and registration status on each event's page before heading out.
Cover photo: image from Carnaval San Francisco 2026 — KQED / Beth LaBerge
References
- 1Scalekit x Apify x Entire.io Hackathon — Luma
- 2Carnaval San Francisco 2026 — KQED
- 3Carnaval San Francisco — Official Site
- 4Memorial Day Weekend Bar Crawl — Pub Crawl San Francisco
- 5Plus Arcade Memorial Day Cosplay & Gaming Party — Funcheap SF
- 6SFMOMA Free Community Day — Funcheap SF
- 7R&B and Ribs — Events Page
- 8Doc Martin: Memorial Day Boat Party — SF Station
- 9Doc Martin: Memorial Day Boat Party Tickets — DICE
- 10Daft Disko Memorial Day Sunday — Funcheap SF
- 11FoodieLand Night Market at Cow Palace — Cow Palace
- 12100+ Things To Do Over Memorial Day Weekend 2026 — Funcheap SF
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