From an African marketplace to a two-day jazz fest and more, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year.
Most normally know as Juneteenth , the day has also been call off Jubilee Day , Freedom Day , and Liberation Day , and is the longest - run for blackened holiday celebrating the emancipation of inglorious people from enslavement . Two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln return his Emancipation Proclamation , 250,000 Black people were still enslave in Texas , bring there by slaver who sought to dodge the executive order . On June 19 , 1865 , Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Bay , Texas , to apply the decree and grant a one-quarter - million captives their freedom .
Until recently , the holiday was celebrated chiefly within Black communities across the rural area , spanningas far as Mexico . Civil unrest in 2020 bring a collective of communities together to demand accountability for the Black lives that were taken through police viciousness , the prison house industrial complex , and racial disparity affect the Black community . Marking a momentous milestone in American history by openly acknowledge the enslavement of grim ancestors as well as the forced project that build up this body politic and cost millions of Black life , the Senate voted Juneteenth as a federally recognized holidayin 2021 .
San Francisco kick off the Bay Area Juneteenth festivities by hosting its inaugural parade along Market Street . The Bay Area has a long - standing tradition of celebrating Juneteenth in home like Oakland , San Jose , and Berkeley , while other communities are building their celebrations for the first or 2d time . From San Francisco to Marin County to Santa Clara and more , here are 15 way to celebrate Juneteenth in the Bay Area , with euphony and food for thought festival , family - favorable activities , and more .
Fam Bam Juneteenth Celebration|Photo courtesy of Afrocentric Oakland
Jazzteenth
Friday , June 16 – Saturday , June 17Golden Gate Park Bandshell , San FranciscoIlluminatewill host two solar day of Jazz in Golden Gate Park . On Friday , the happy hour celebration of jazz euphony begin at 4:30 promethium in Golden Gate Park . On Saturday , Fillmore Jazz Ambassadorswill bring its brand of musical festivity . visitant can also experience creative person Dana King ’s Monumental Reckoning , a assemblage of 350 ancestral sculpture created while the installation is still useable .
Juneteenth Homecoming
Saturday , June 17Sofa District , San JoseThe African American Community Service Agency ( AACSA ) is make out in hot with its forty-second yearly Juneteenth celebration . With the funding of San Jose ’s Office of Racial Equity , Santa Clara University and Santa Clara County Black Firefighters Association , Juneteenth celebration have averaged over 3,500 attender . From 12 pm to 7 : pm , celebrater can wait a “ Homecoming ” theme begin with a monumental performance fromFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical University ( FAMU ) 100 march band . Comedian Kim Whitleywill be the host , with featured performance from R&B singerK. Michelleand gospel Isaac M. Singer Lena Byrd Miles . The event is barren and family - friendly .
Freedom Celebration
Afrocentric Juneteenth, Oakland’s Fam Bam, and Pan African Wellness Festival
Saturday , June 17Lake Merritt Amphitheater , OaklandFam Bam Juneteenth Celebration deliver to Lake Merritt ’s Amphitheatre with festivity , include a keynote speech from community counselor and congressional candidate Lateefah Simon , six disk jockey with all the best-loved jams , spoken word performances , a youth geographical zone , intellectual nourishment vendors , and a execution fromVallejo ’s very own creative person LaRussell . This celebration promises to back family , health , community of interests , culture , and love .
Juneteenth Freedom Day @ Museum of African Diaspora (MoAD)
Saturday , June 17Museum of African Diaspora , San FranciscoFrom 11 am to 6 pm , San Francisco ’s Museum of African Diaspora will offer free ingress to all visitors . Entry includes complimentary approach to the current exhibit , Black Venus . The museum is also pop the question Family Art Activity and a board discussion withauthor Dorothy Lazard , with KQED ’s Rightnowish podcast boniface and journalistPendarvis Harshaw . The day will shut down out with a performance fromCurtis Family C - Notes .
Richmond Juneteenth Family Day and Festival
Saturday , June 17Parade begins at Booker T. Anderson Community Center and terminate at Nicholl Park , RichmondRichmond Juneteenth parade to take to the streets at 10 am at Booker T. Anderson Community Center . To keep the issue family - friendly , organizers require visitant to refrain from candidature , imbibing , and smoking during the parade this year . The fete begins at Nicholl Park at 11:30 am and ends at 6 pm .
Mill Valley Freedom Festival
Saturday , June 17Mill Valley Downtown Plaza , Mill ValleyThe City of Mill Valley , in coordination withHip Hop for Change , will host its Juneteenth festivity on Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm . The free celebration will have operation fromOakland Originalz Dance Crewas well as a graffiti shop , lively music , and disk jockey from around the Bay Area .
Vallejo Juneteenth
Saturday , June 17Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Green , VallejoThis year ’s annual Juneteenth solemnization are hold up by the Solano County African Family Reunion Celebration Committee . The parade will begin at 9 am and lead until 10:30 am , make the 1 - air mile trek to Vallejo ’s Waterfront , where vendors and entertainment will be there to greet visitors . celebration run from 11 am to 5 postmortem . await performance from R&B artist Project 4 Band , Bario Funk , and Farley Funk , and exhibitors selling merchandise and food .
Suisun City Juneteenth Family event
Saturday , June 17 – Sunday , June 18Suisun Waterfront , Suisun CitySuisun City is celebrating its second Juneteenth Day . Hosted by Suisun City Youth Commission and Tri - City NAACP , the organizations have plant their mission toward promote the economical and social forward motion of Suisun City ’s sinister community . Anyone assay to provide supporter backup , become a vendor , or volunteer is encouraged to emailChairmanSCYC@gmail.com .
City of Antioch Juneteenth
Saturday , June 17 – Sunday , June 18Grace Bible Fellowship Church and Williamson Ranch ParkCelebrate with the City of Antioch at Grace Bible Fellowship Church with vendors , unrecorded euphony , and activities for children . On Sunday , join from 12 post-mortem examination to 5 pm for more family - well-disposed fun with drive , resilient entertainment , and food vendors .
Celebrate Juneteenth at the Ruth Williams Memorial Theater
Continuing through Sunday , June 18Bayview Opera House and Gilman Park , San FranciscoThe region Bayview - Orion Point is household to the expectant Black community in San Francisco , and its historical Bayview Opera House , which was built in 1888 and is the city ’s oldest dramatics in San Francisco , has been lionise Juneteenth since June 12th with panels and introduction on char ’s empowerment , networking , and hip - hop education . But the good is yet to derive with a nighttime concert featuring San Francisco rappersSan QuinnandRappin 4Tay . Check the tie-in for more entropy .
American Canyon Family Day Juneteenth celebration
Sunday , June 18Main Street Park , Napa ValleyAmerican Canyon Juneteenth returns for its second “ Freedom Fest ” in partnership with American Canyon Arts Foundation and the American Canyon Tourism Improvement District . The free event will feature a keynote speech from Dr. Lawrence VanHook , President of Peralta College ’s Peralta Association of African American Affairs . solid food trucks and vender will be on manus , as well as live carrying out from Grammy - nominated singerTony Lindsey , West Coast Caravan of All Stars , One Church Singers , and many others . In plus , there will be Father ’s Day raffles and a kid zone from 2 pm to 4 pm . Limited reserved seating is available for $ 30 per someone by emailinginfo@amcanart.orgor call 707 - 319 - 4773 .
35th Annual Berkeley Juneteenth Festival
Sunday , June 18Adeline St and Alcatraz Ave , BerkeleyBerkeley ’s Juneteenth fete remains the longest - running Juneteenth effect in Northern California . harbor in South Berkeley ’s Alcatraz - Adeline Corridor , the free and public festival let in a week of programming that began June 11 , from art exhibits to community clean - up events . Sunday ’s closure event will be theme “ Remembering ” and feature jazz , blues , and zydeco melodious performances .
Sixth Annual Marin City Juneteenth Festival
Monday , June 19Rocky Graham Park , Marin CountyMarin City ’s theme for its seventh year is “ Ascension . " This year ’s effect begins at 9 am with a free orison breakfast . A ceremonial drumming circle and singing of the Black National Anthem will begin at 10:30 . Local vendors and small business organisation will be useable at 11 am . parent can take advantage of the supervised child- care available in a designated area to stroll through the African Marketplace to support small local patronage selling skin , haircare , and art . Registrationis required for the prayer breakfast .
Oakland 16th Annual Juneteenth Celebration & Street Festival, Freedom Day!
Saturday , June 243233 Market Street , OaklandB - H Brilliant Minds Project , Inc.has themed the festivities “ Ai n’t No Stopping Us Now ! ” closing out Oakland ’s Juneteenth celebration . Join in on some “ Chicago- fashion ” stepping . Enjoy a cable car show , some gospel medicine , or a way show . visitor can also take part in fiscal literacy workshop or join a healing forget me drug .
Fam Bam Juneteenth Celebration|Photo courtesy of Afrocentric Oakland
Photo courtesy of Hip Hop for Change
Photo courtesy of Bayview Opera House
