The San Francisco Carnaval King and Queen competition on Saturday chose Jose Gomez and Adriana Paola as the King and Queen for this year’s Carnaval Colores de Amour. The two winners vied against 11 other contestants in short dance performances before a live audience at KQED’s new headquarters in the Mission District.
Gomez is a dancer and teacher and Paola, 23, is a psychologist and dancer. More detailed bios are on the Carnaval Instagram page.
The event began solemnly, honoring lost loved ones, before transitioning into an upbeat celebration of a local tradition that started in 1979 on Mission Street. Below are some photos and videos from the contest. Carnaval will take place on May 28 and May 29, with the parade on Sunday.
