Hello Fabulous LDG Carnavaleros!

I hope you are all doing well and taking care of yourselves.  Thank you for a productive and exciting outdoor rehearsal last Sunday! 

We have been busy with logistics preparations for the Parade, ordering banners, coordinating with our Lead Pacing and Water Monitors, working on our Sound Truck, After Party and Video needs, finalizing our music, working with our 30th Street Senior Center seniors and all the last minute items that come up.  Thank you everyone for all your dedication throughout this Carnaval Journey!

Media Releases - 

Thank you to everyone who has signed their Media Releases for our mini-documentary film.  You can email the signed waivers to me or give them to your Section Leaders.   We will need all waivers signed by 5/17/26.  Thank you so much!

Beautiful Photos by Miquel Banket ~ 

Thank you to Miquel Banket for these beautiful rehearsal photos - we hope you love them as much as I do.  Please credit the photographer if sharing / posting. 

You can tag him on instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/frameofbeing/  Thank you!

3rd Outdoor Rehearsal is this Sunday 5/17/2026

12:00PM-2:00PM 

at Visitacion Valley Middle School, 1971 Visitacion Ave., SF, CA 

PLEASE NOTE:  BAY TO BREAKERS is this Sunday  

Please check for street closures that may affect your drive to rehearsal so please plan ahead.

Our proposed Rehearsal plan for this Sunday:

• 12:00Noon - Section Leaders will check in with Elizabeth and Dudley. Then, they will huddle and organize sections into their placements, as we did last week. 

• 12:15pm - Short warm up.

• 12:30pm - dance all 3 choreographies in place facing North like we did last week. 

• 12:50pm -  practice dancing the entire playlist while parading forward at a slow and steady pace :-)

• 10 minute Break

• 1:20pm - walk through our transitions/rotation of sections, so that each section gets an opportunity to be in the front. 

• 1:30pm-1:45pm - Parade the whole playlist with transitions/rotation of sections.

• 2:00PM Everyone out from the schoolyard and the parking lot. 

PLAYLIST ORDER FOR PARADE: 

• Rie Y Llora

• 30 seconds to transition/rotate sections

• Vem Sambar

• 30 seconds or so to transition/rotate sections

• Vivito y Coleando

• One Minute transition/rotate sections/rest 

Please be mindful that there are only two restrooms and we do not have changing rooms.  Please collect all your belongings at the end of rehearsal.   THANK YOU SO MUCH to Gina Patterson for hosting us at Visitacion Valley Middle School for our outdoor rehearsals.  Please help us clear out and exit the schoolyard and parking lot on time, so Gina can lock up and enjoy her afternoon. 

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LOOKING AHEAD:  

Our last rehearsal is SATURDAY 5/23/2026

12pm-2pm at Visitacion Valley Middle School.  

We will be filming this rehearsal.

This is a DRESS rehearsal with full makeup, shoes, and crowns.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR YOUR COSTUME since we don't have dressing room areas.  This rehearsal is to address any makeup/crown/shoe/ issues.  Please practice the dances with your whole costume at home :-).   

Volunteer Pacing & Water Monitor Training/Practice

Saturday 5/23  12pm-2pm is also our Mandatory Orientation/Practice for our Volunteer Monitors.   

Our Lead Pacing Monitor is Nicole Phillips and our Lead Water Monitor is December Martin.   They will train their respective volunteer team, have them observe us as we parade once through, and then they will practice their positions with us.   Thank you so much to all our volunteers for your support!

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PARADE LINEUP INFORMATION FOR THE DAY OF THE PARADE

We are Contingent #37 out of 72 Contingents.  

Our Staging Location is at: 2400-2406 Bryant Street (near 22nd St.), SF, CA

Please arrive at the staging location at 9:30AM on Sunday May 24 for photos, warmup and meet and greet.  

We will be filming this day :-)

Please refer to the Carnaval SF Parade Map so you can see the route of the Parade.  

We are competing in the Contemporary/Fusion Category. The KPIX Television Cameras will be on the Corner of 24th and Harrison and the VIP Grandstands and Judges Stand will be between 22nd and 23rd Street.

After the parade, please join us at our after-party at ODC, 351 Shotwell Street, SF, CA!!!  

***I highly recommend walking the Parade Route sometime this week to notice the changes and street conditions, the narrow parts of 24th Street and get a sense for how it will feel, especially if this is your first time parading.

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Last but not least....

Please take good care of yourselves as we approach our last few days together; rest when you need it, stay hydrated and continue to practice self-care.  We want us all to be safe and healthy to enjoy the fruits of our collective labor.  Thank you!!!

I truly hope that you enjoy these last days of energizing nervousness, excitement and preparation.  I have been dancing in Carnaval since 1989 and I still feel excitement as we approach parade day.  I will miss this flurry of activity, preparations and gatherings when it's over and I want to treasure each fleeting moment.  The post-Carnaval blues are real!  So let's be present and enjoy each of these last few days together!!!

with love and deep gratitude,  Elizabeth and Dudley