San Francisco Carnaval parade highlights rich culture of historic Mission District
SAN FRANCISCO - It's Carnaval weekend, and those who celebrate took to the streets in the historic Mission District Sunday morning for the annual San Francisco Carnaval Parade.
Aztec dancers blessed the start of San Francisco's 46th annual Carnaval Parade, where attendees had their cultures on display, loud and proud. "Vestimenta, this is from Bolivia. And this is celebrating highlight spinners, spinning thread in the altiplano," said Carnaval dancer, Holly Flores. Flores is half Bolivian, and she says staying connected to her community is a huge part of Carnaval. "It's very healing, it's very special, we're a strong community. I learned that around the 50s and 60s, there were 400 Bolivian families that immigrated to Northern California, and this group is the descendants of those families. We're still connected," Flores told KTVU. Carnaval is meant to honor the diverse Latin American, Caribbean, and African diasporic roots of the Mission District. San Francisco's Carnaval celebrations started back in 1979. Since then, hundreds of thousands of attendees have poured into the city streets at the festival each year. Some folks see it as a prime opportunity to shine a light on their countries and cultures.
Gaynor Ann Siatchea has been attending the Carnaval celebrations in San Francisco since its inception in 1979. "It's culture and continuing to feel that. This is ours, and we belong. And as a native San Franciscan, it's important," Siatchea said. Among the dozens of floats in the parade was a sea of classic lowriders from several car clubs across California."It means a lot because we grew up here in this district," Francisco Jesus Antolin, president of Justlowriders Bay Area Car Club, told KTVU. Antolin grew up in the Mission District, and he says his lowrider is more than just a truck; it's a connection to his culture and his community. It also carries the memory of someone near and dear to his heart. A portrait of his late mother is painted over the engine of his truck. "It's been five years since she's been gone…" Antolin said. "I feel grateful…Because wherever I go, she's with me."
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