Santa Cruz Juneteenth: Live Music, Hike, Soul Food, More

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Santa Cruz's 30th annual Juneteenth celebration is coming up and organizers have a slew of activities in the works.

This year Juneteeth — or June 19 — falls on a Saturday, but local events to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States kick off this Sunday, June 13. "Liberation" is the theme of this year's celebration.

"Juneteenth is a special day for anyone who believes in freedom and equality for all people," organizers wrote on the Santa Cruz Juneteenth website.

And in Santa Cruz, the Juneteenth festivities mark another important milestone: the Londen Nelson Community Center's first public event since closing down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jack Sprow, an event organizer with Louden Nelson.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. It is "a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings." In recent years, Juneteenth "commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement."

Juneteenth is held on June 19 because that was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Many of the slaves in Texas had not known of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which had actually given them freedom more than two years earlier.

Don't forget to check out the Murals Matter events from Watsonville Film Festival, which are being held in solidarity with Juneteenth celebrations. Information about debut screening of "Painter of Dreams," a film discussing sociopolitical issues surrounding murals in Watsonville, can be found below, but a full lineup of Murals Matter events can be found here.

Want to join in the fun? Here's a peek at what's coming up and be sure to click the links for more details from Santa Cruz Juneteenth.

Saturday, June 19

• Liberation Hike, 8 a.m. at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Come prepared to hike and meditate in a circle with your fellow eventgoers. Bring something to sit on, pen or pencil, journal or paper, and meet at the Wilder Ranch parking lot.
• 30th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, 1 to 4 p.m. at Laurel Park: Music, poetry, dance, arts and crafts, basketball and a sack race will take place at this year's annual celebration. There will be soul food and performances from Lisa Taylor, the Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center, Lee Earl, Gregory Speed and more.
• Basketball Skills Challenge, 2 p.m. at Laurel Park: High schoolers and younger can compete in a basketball contest with prizes for all. There will be a three-point shoot-out, skills challenge and shot competition.

Know of any other local Juneteenth events? Email courtney.teague@patch.com and, if you are an organizer, submit the event to our calendar.