Celebrate Juneteenth in Long Beach
Now in its fourth year, the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration has quickly become one of the city’s most anticipated and best attended events. In 2024, the event is headlined by DJ Pee .Wee, also known as the popular musician, Anderson .Paak! Come down to Rainbow Lagoon Park for the day-long celebration of Black history and culture featuring live music, dancing, Black artisans, food trucks, and family activities.
What, Where, When …
Juneteenth is the national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration founder and producer Carl Kemp has said he wants the event, held June 15 at Rainbow Lagoon Park (400 E. Shoreline Dr.), to be all about allowing "lovers of Black culture to celebrate with joy, dignity and unity in a peaceful environment."
The celebration, which takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., is free for general admission, though organizers ask that guests get tickets by clicking here. VIP tickets cost $80, while reserved tables go for $800 -- use the same link to purchase.
With Performances By...
That joyful celebration will once again be provided by multiple entertainers and performers, with the celebration’s usual outstanding slate of talent headlined by Grammy Award Winner Dr Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak.
"I'm looking forward to celebrating Black freedom," said DJ Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak. "I've got a special set cooked up and I can't wait to vibe with the city of LBC."
The lineup also includes performances by Black fraternities and sororities, step dancing, jazz, gospel, poetry and more.
And...
A children’s village offers games, face painting, arts and crafts and activities for the whole family. Vendors will be offering all manner of merchandise and food, from entrees to desserts to drinks.
Touching history
As in years past, the celebration will also present and honor the history of the Black experience. To give the community, Kemp said, “an up close and personal look at Black history while at the same time celebrating our potential.”
The oldest nationally celebrated observation of the ending of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth commemorates Union soldiers, on June 19, 1865, landing at Galveston, Texas and announcing the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, which had little impact in Texas due to the small number of Union troops located there to enforce it. However, with the surrender of Confederate forces in April, 1865, the additional Union troops in Texas were now able to overcome resistance to the Proclamation.
In 2021, President Joe Biden established June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday, calling it “one of the greatest honors I will have as president.”
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Southern California’s premiere Juneteenth event returns on June 15 with a day-long celebration of Black history and culture featuring live music, family activities, food trucks and more.
