The Marin City Juneteenth Festival at Rocky Graham Park will be held on Saturday, June 21. The all-ages, free festival begins at 11:00 a.m. with an Opening Ceremony. Before the festival begins, there will be a Prayer Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the Senior Center at 640 Drake Avenue in Marin City. Admission to the Prayer Breakfast costs $20. The Juneteenth Festival is produced by the Marin City Community Services District, and MC Arts and Culture. Rocky Graham Park is located at 850 Drake Avenue in Marin City.
The event celebrates the legacy of Black African culture in the North Bay Area. The holiday has been celebrated in the SF Bay Area, Texas, and other Black communities in the USA for decades before the federal government declared it a national holiday in 2020.
Before that declaration, June 19th had become synonymous with the end of legalized enslavement of Africans in the United States, even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863.
The Marin City Juneteenth Festival highlights local vendors and small businesses who come together in an African Marketplace to share knowledge, food, fashion, jewelry, art, books, and more for all who attend to experience African culture, shop local, and enjoy top-notch performances.
This year, the Marin City Juneteenth Festival theme is Kuumba, the 5th Principle of Kwanzaa, translated from Swahili to mean creativity.
Creativity is defined as the ability to do what is needed to leave the communities and the world more beautiful and beneficial than one found it. It encompasses not only creative expression but also critical thinking, and problem solving.
Supervised child care will be provided in a gated playground. A jumping tent, face painting, an art creation table, and horseback rides make for a magical experience for children and a relaxing time for parents and family.