Long Beach Juneteenth Festival Returns June 17

(LONG BEACH, CA – JUNE 8, 2023) One of the largest Juneteenth events in Southern California returns to Long Beach on June 17 at Rainbow Lagoon Park (400 E. Shoreline Dr.). With over 10,000 people in attendance throughout the day at last year’s Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration, Producer and Founder Carl Kemp expects this year’s event to be even greater. The free, ticketed event is a joyous celebration of Black culture and history, with a musical lineup headlined by the legendary R&B and gospel singer, Kelly Price, step shows, gospel, jazz, poetry and Black artists, artisans and food trucks providing activations throughout the festival campus.

Tickets for the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration are free, but reservations are required. Reserve your tickets at www.lbjuneteenth.com.

“Black culture is foundational to what makes America great, and Juneteenth is the perfect holiday to celebrate Black freedom in all of its expressions,” said Kemp. “This event would not be possible without our hardworking team, generous sponsors, and beautiful community, and we are so grateful to have this opportunity to bring joy to the Black community and those who love our culture.”

“The Juneteenth Celebration is a wonderful event kicking off a summer lineup of music, culture, and food festivals in Long Beach,” said Steve Goodling, President & CEO of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re proud to sponsor this event and to bring our community together to celebrate with live music and fun for all ages.”

“Juneteenth honors the legacy and hard-fought civil rights victories our nation has secured and the pursuit for equality that continues today,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “We are honored to sponsor an event that celebrates freedom and cultural pride.”

The festival centers around a mainstage lineup of performers including a step show by Black Greek fraternities and sororities from California State University, Long Beach, musical performances by:

- DJ Jiji Sweet
- Phylicia Hill
- Dembrebrah African Drum and Dance Ensemble
- Greater Los Angeles Community Choir
- Divas of Compton
- Piece of Paradise
- Michah Bournes
- Ayanna and Acacia Greenage
- Brandon E. Owens and Friends
- Gee Mack & Asia Raye

Activations throughout the festival grounds include a Kings & Queens Village for children cosponsored by the YMCA of Greater Long Beach and The Six, booths showcasing local artisans and nonprofits, as well as a food truck lineup with offerings from Black owned businesses including Harold & Belles, Comfort Wingz, and the Cultured Soul. In the spirit of the national holiday, the locally-based traveling Black history museum, Forgotten Images, will be onsite with an exhibition of relics and artifacts chronicling the Black experience in America.

For more details and updates, visit www.lbjuneteenth.com
and follow @lbjuneteenth on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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About Juneteenth: Declared a national holiday in 2021, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, which took place two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law. Without Union forces present, Texas had resisted freeing the enslaved until the arrival of Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston on June 19, 1865. Bringing with him the news that the war had ended and slaves must be set free, slavery was finally put to an end. The Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration honors this occasion and celebrates the contributions, history, potential and culture of Black America.

About the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration: Founded by Carl Kemp in 2021, the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration is a living legacy of the grassroots celebrations that came before it, with the torch passed by Black community leaders in the city over the years. The first Juneteenth celebration in Long Beach was produced by Connie Oden, a former city employee with the Parks, Marine and Recreation Department. Celebrations have also been organized over the years by former Vice Mayor Dee Andrews, Councilwoman Laura Richardson, Councilman Jim Wilson, the NAACP and community leader John Malveaux. In 2020, Kemp consulted with Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr., head of Antioch Church of Long Beach, about creating a Juneteenth celebration in the city’s downtown core. With support from trailblazer sponsors and participation and volunteerism of community groups like Care Closet, Kemp produced and held the first largescale Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 2021. This year marks the third annual production of the festival.