By Kathy Chouteau
The annual “Juneteenth Parade & Festival” in Richmond will take place on Saturday, June 22.
The parade will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting at Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd., and ending at the site of the festival at Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave.
After the parade, a wealth of activities are planned such as live music, cultural performances, food options, local vendors and a Youth Area with family friendly activities.
The event is supported via a partnership between the N.B.A., City of Richmond and Chevron.
Click here for more information, to sign up for the parade or to apply to have a vendor booth at the festivities. Questions about the Richmond festivities? Contact at 510-620-6512.
RPAL Carnival
The Richmond Police Activities League will host its annual Juneteenth Carnival from June 14-16. The event will feature a variety of fun rides, games and other activities in the parking lot at 25th Street and Barrett Avenue in Richmond.
Pinole
The “Pinole Pride and Juneteenth Celebration” is set for Sunday, June 9 from noon to 3 p.m. at Fernandez Park, 595 Tennent Ave. in Pinole.
Live music, performances, children’s activities, food trucks, local organizations and vendors are part of the celebration, according to the city.
Anyone interested in tabling at the event can contact [email protected].
Parks
If some time in nature is more your style, the East Bay Regional Park District will be observing Juneteenth with a Free Park Day Wednesday, June 19, along with naturalist-led public programs.
“The District is committed to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and making our parks and agency more welcoming and reflective of the communities we serve,” it said on its website.
Visitors can expect Park District fees waived on Juneteenth for: Park entrance, parking, dogs, horses, boat launching and fishing. Note that the fee waiver doesn’t apply to swimming, camping, reservable picnic facilities (due to capacity limits), district concessions, state fees for fishing licenses and watercraft inspections for invasive mussels, according to the park.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, when word of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans reached Galveston, Texas, effectively freeing the last enslaved individuals in the Confederate states. The holiday now celebrates the end of slavery in Texas.
