Media Contact: Robert Everest
612-747-1234 / rkeverest@gmail.com
Carnaval Brasileiro of the Twin Cities celebrates 25 years after a two year hiatus with a Valentine’s Day extravaganza benefit at the iconic
Granada Theatre on Saturday, February 14!
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 26, 2025 -- The most attended and longest-running annual Brazilian event in the Twin Cities is back after a two year hiatus with the 25th annual Carnaval Brasileiro on Saturday, February 14 at the Granada Theater in Minneapolis, bringing you an authentically festive Brazilian cultural experience!
This year, for the first time, Carnaval Brasileiro will celebrate Valentine’s Day with pre-show romantic dinner options accompanied by live Bossa Nova music to set the mood. As doors open for the Brazilian Carnival Extravaganza you will be greeted by our Brazilian dancers, Ginga da Bahia, Ana Freire, and Clarissa Flores, who will captivate and tantalize you, and get you dancing like never before. Brazilian quintet Choro Borealis will then take you back in time by playing music that was heard in Brazilian carnival celebrations over a hundred years ago. After more entertainment from our dancers, the percussion ensemble Batucada do Norte will take you to the streets of Rio for the authentic batucadas performed by “escolas de samba”. And finally, guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest and his ten-piece group Beira Mar Brasil will headline the event, playing Samba, Axé, Frevo, Baião, and other dance-inducing styles from many different regions of Brazil, with the unparalleled dance energy that we have all grown to love over the last 25 years!
In response to the ongoing 4-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and considering event director Robert’s Ukrainian heritage (his grandmother was born in Kyiv), Brazilfest MN has decided to partner with Stand with Ukraine MN to help Ukrainians displaced by the war. With this in mind, this extravaganza benefit event will allow attendees to help raise funds in several ways. First, when purchasing admission online there will be an opportunity to make an upfront donation along with your ticket purchase. Then, throughout the event, $1 from all caipirinha sales will also go to relief efforts, and finally, at the end of the night, a portion of the proceeds after expenses will be donated as well.
The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s. Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season. During this event Carnaval Brasileiro guests will be able to purchase Brazilian drinks like the famous caipirinha and Brazilians’ favorite snack, pão de queijo, fresh out of the oven!
Carnaval Brasileiro Valentine’s Day Extravaganza Benefit for Ukraine 2026
DATE: Saturday, February 14, 2026.
TIME: 9 pm - 1 am (doors at 8:30) Evening Extravaganza (21+) preceded by a Brazilian Valentine’s Day dinner, time TBD.
VENUE: Granada Theater, 3022 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408. (762) 239-0811
TICKETS: 9 pm Evening Extravaganza: $25 early bird special until January 8, 2026,
$30 in advance (Jan. 1 - Feb. 13), $40 at the door.
Media Contact: Robert Everest
612-747-1234 / rkeverest@gmail.com
Carnaval Brasileiro of the Twin Cities celebrates 25 years after a two year hiatus with a Valentine’s Day extravaganza benefit at the iconic
Granada Theatre on Saturday, February 14!
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 26, 2025 -- The most attended and longest-running annual Brazilian event in the Twin Cities is back after a two year hiatus with the 25th annual Carnaval Brasileiro on Saturday, February 14 at the Granada Theater in Minneapolis, bringing you an authentically festive Brazilian cultural experience!
This year, for the first time, Carnaval Brasileiro will celebrate Valentine’s Day with pre-show romantic dinner options accompanied by live Bossa Nova music to set the mood. As doors open for the Brazilian Carnival Extravaganza you will be greeted by our Brazilian dancers, Ginga da Bahia, Ana Freire, and Clarissa Flores, who will captivate and tantalize you, and get you dancing like never before. Brazilian quintet Choro Borealis will then take you back in time by playing music that was heard in Brazilian carnival celebrations over a hundred years ago. After more entertainment from our dancers, the percussion ensemble Batucada do Norte will take you to the streets of Rio for the authentic batucadas performed by “escolas de samba”. And finally, guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest and his ten-piece group Beira Mar Brasil will headline the event, playing Samba, Axé, Frevo, Baião, and other dance-inducing styles from many different regions of Brazil, with the unparalleled dance energy that we have all grown to love over the last 25 years!
In response to the ongoing 4-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and considering event director Robert’s Ukrainian heritage (his grandmother was born in Kyiv), Brazilfest MN has decided to partner with Stand with Ukraine MN to help Ukrainians displaced by the war. With this in mind, this extravaganza benefit event will allow attendees to help raise funds in several ways. First, when purchasing admission online there will be an opportunity to make an upfront donation along with your ticket purchase. Then, throughout the event, $1 from all caipirinha sales will also go to relief efforts, and finally, at the end of the night, a portion of the proceeds after expenses will be donated as well.
The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s. Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season. During this event Carnaval Brasileiro guests will be able to purchase Brazilian drinks like the famous caipirinha and Brazilians’ favorite snack, pão de queijo, fresh out of the oven!
Carnaval Brasileiro Valentine’s Day Extravaganza Benefit for Ukraine 2026
DATE: Saturday, February 14, 2026.
TIME: 9 pm - 1 am (doors at 8:30) Evening Extravaganza (21+) preceded by a Brazilian Valentine’s Day dinner, time TBD.
VENUE: Granada Theater, 3022 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408. (762) 239-0811
TICKETS: 9 pm Evening Extravaganza: $25 early bird special until January 8, 2026,
$30 in advance (Jan. 1 - Feb. 13), $40 at the door.
The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s. Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season. During this event Carnaval Brasileiro guests will be able to purchase Brazilian drinks like the famous caipirinha and Brazilians’ favorite snack, pão de queijo, fresh out of the oven!
Beira Mar Brasil, a band with over 25 years of history, features Brazilian music veteran Robert Everest on guitar, cavaquinho, and vocals. He is joined by keyboards, bass, drums, a horn section, and multiple percussionists. The group has performed at prestigious events, including the 15th Anniversary of the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center, the Olodum concert at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, and the 2011 Children’s Heartlink Gala. Everest has toured throughout the world, has performed with Manhattan Samba in New York, and has appeared at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual gala in the Twin Cities.
Choro Borealis brings together some of the Twin Cities’ finest musicians who share a deeply rooted passion for Brazilian music: Pat O’Keefe on clarinet, Tim O’Keefe on percussion and mandolin, Robert Everest on 7-string guitar and vocals, John Croarkin on flute, and David Burk on cavaquinho. These talented musicians have been performing and studying Brazilian music across the globe for over 30 years.
Ginga Da Bahia is a choreographer, musician, and dance and capoeira instructor from Bahia, Brazil. He has 25 years of experience dancing professionally with groups such as: Balé Folclórico da Bahia and Federal University of Bahia Dance Group. He toured Europe twice as a featured soloist with Brazilian dance troupes Frutos Tropicais and Viva Bahia, and now dances for many events throughout the Twin Cities and leads the Brazil Arts Cultural Center in Minneapolis.
Ana Freire graduated with a BA and Teaching Certification in Dance from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has also studied samba no pé and gafieira with Ary Guimaraes, Jimmy de Oliveira, Priscila Fuentes, and Don DeBoer. She is a ballet choreographer for Company North Crest, in Sauk Rapids, MN and is part of the Aurora do Samba performing team, directed by Priscila Fuentes.
Clarissa Flores is a professional Brazilian dancer, dance instructor, and cultural producer based in Minnesota, and the creator of Dançando em Comunidade. Her work focuses on sharing Brazilian culture through dance, theater productions, and cultural events, including Carnival celebrations.
COMPLETE EVENT INFO: www.roberteverest.com / 612-747-1234
