Sunday, May 25, the annual Carnaval SF parade steps off at 9:30am along Harrison Street between 16th and 24th in the Mission, followed by a two-day festival in Precita Park and the surrounding blocks through Monday, May 26. Festival grounds open Saturday at 10am. Admission to the street fair is free; some ticketed grandstand seating is available for the parade. BART to 16th Street Mission is your best option — do not attempt to drive in. 24th Street BART also works if you're coming from the south end.

This is one of the larger street events the city runs annually, pulling together samba schools, Afro-Caribbean dance troupes, Aztec dancers, and brass-heavy contingents that have been rehearsing since March. The food corridor runs several blocks deep with vendors doing Salvadoran, Brazilian, Mexican, and Peruvian food side by side. The music stages run concurrent sets, so there's no dead time between acts if you position yourself right.

Practical note: Harrison fills fast by 9am if you want a standing spot with sightlines. The blocks closest to 20th tend to be less packed than the 18th Street intersection. Bring cash — a meaningful share of vendors are cash only and the ATM lines get long by noon.

With two hours: catch the tail end of the parade near 22nd Street around 11am, then walk south into the festival food corridor and eat your way to the main stage.