Celebrating Freedom and Unity:
The Marin City Juneteenth Festival
Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024
Times and Places:
9:00 AM — Community prayer breakfast at the Marguerite Johnson Senior Center at 640 Drake Ave, Marin City. (Note: Postal address used in some GPS systems is in Sausalito, CA 94965, but the community is in unincorporated Marin County and is known as Marin City.)
10:30 AM to 7:00 PM — Festival hours at Rocky Graham Park, 850 Drake Ave, Marin City (See Map Below)
11:30 AM — The performance stage opens, featuring international and local talent, including Music: Gospel, and Praise Dance, International Percussion, Funk, Neo-soul, Rap. Poetry, and Theater.
7:00 PM — The Market and the Festival close. Guests are encouraged to stay to join in the 90-minute clean-up event, DJ’d by Ebony Slam, Feeve Wells, and nephew Ra.
What: A day filled with cultural enrichment, music, dancing and food, along with celebration of and education about the importance of Juneteenth. The official U.S. Federal Juneteenth Holiday celebrates the anniversary of the June 19, 1865 order proclaiming the freedom of the slaves that was issued by the U.S. Army commander taking command from the Confederate Army in Galveston, Texas, the most distant corner of the Confederacy, after the end of the Civil War. As such, it was the symbolic “completion” of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Two and a half years had passed since that original order before Juneteenth marked the completion of its formal provisions.
In addition to recognizing this historic moment, it also is a time for reflection on the unfinished portions of that 1863 commitment to freedom and equality for all. It is a time for fostering unity and understanding across the diverse members of the community, and uniting in the hope that we are creating a world in which its promise is becoming a fully-grown reality.
Child Care: Supervised care is provided, with a gated playground. A jumping tent, face painting, a table for arts and crafts, and horse rides (how cool is that?) will delight both kids and their parents.
Event website: Juneteenth Community Festival
Rocky Graham Park in Marin City (just north of Sausalito) will be the site for the Marin City Juneteenth Festival, with performances by local musicians, dancers, and artists, along with workshops exploring African American heritage. There will also be a vibrant marketplace showcasing local artisans, entrepreneurs, and (my favorite) fabulous local food.
As listed in the event website, This year’s event begins at 9:00 AM with a community prayer breakfast at the Marguerite Johnson Senior Center (just up the hill from Rocky Graham Park). At 10:30 AM the intimate amphitheater will be the site for a Drum Call to invite the community to join the festivities. The Opening Ceremony includes special honors for the eldest and youngest of African descent, sharing beverages, standing for the singing of the Negro National Anthem, and crowning the community Queen and King.
