Juneteenth celebrations in the Coachella Valley, surrounding cities

Laine Henry, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read

Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

The celebration was first held in Texas to commemorate June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the news declaring the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. The holiday will be celebrated throughout the Coachella Valley and surrounding cities. Here are some of the events planned:

Palm Springs Juneteenth Celebration

The City of Palm Springs will host a family-friendly Juneteenth celebration from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The celebration will feature free camel rides, food and music. Local community leaders will be informing residents about the significance of Juneteeth with educational materials.

For more information, contact Brian Jackson at (760) 323-8271.

Where: James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tramview Road, Palm Springs

Juneteenth Celebration

Aneka Brown Designs will host a Juneteenth celebration from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. The celebration will have music, art, food, fashion, discussion and more. Richard Pryor Jr., the son of comedian Richard Pryor, will be in attendance, signing his book and taking photos with guests. The free tickets are limited, along with the VIP tickets, which start at $60. The VIP tickets include a signed copy of Pryor Jr.'s book, a complete picture painting kit, a dessert sample from Sweet & Precious Things, food from Mica's Soul Kitchen and more.

For more information and to purchase a VIP ticket, go to bit.ly/JuneteenthCelebration2022 or email anekabrowndesigns@yahoo.com.

Where: 1386 S. Driftwood, Palm Springs

Virtual Open Mic

A virtual open mic for Juneteenth is taking place on Zoom at noon on Saturday, June 18. The event will showcase black-owned businesses, along with providing a space for musicians, poets and spoken-word artists to perform. After the performances, everyone will have two votes. The performer with the most votes will win $25 through CashApp. Audience tickets cost $5, vendor tickets cost $5 and performer tickets cost $10.

To purchase tickets, go to bit.ly/JuneteenthVirtualOpenMic

Redlands Juneteenth Celebration

The City of Redlands and Unity in the Community will celebrate Juneteenth on Sunday, June 19. The free celebration will begin with a parade west of Sylvan Park from 8-10 a.m., followed by a flag ceremony by Bishop Green from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then a music festival will take place 1-8 p.m. Fireworks are planned for 8 p.m. for the finale.

To learn more, go to aboutredlands.com

Where: Sylvan Park, 601 N. University Street, Redlands

Riverside Juneteenth Celebration

The Riverside second annual Juneteenth celebration will take place 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. The festivities will include sip n' paint, clown dancers, an African drummer, Soca music, Dominos games, line dancing, live black art walk,black-owned vendors, fashion show, kids games and more.

To learn more, go to bit.ly/RiversideJuneteenth2022

Where: Downtown Riverside White Park, 3936 Chestnut St., Riverside

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Juneteenth celebrations in the Coachella Valley, surrounding cities