In the run-up to Juneteenth, Berkeley held a week-long celebration of the holiday culminating on Sunday with an event where nearly a dozen musical acts played.
The celebration is the longest running in the Bay Area, now going on to its 36th year.
In addition to music, the Sunday event also had dance performances as well as food and other vendors.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
One vendor shared her pride in sharing her heritage at the event.
“It’s very, very special,” said Felicia Gold, of Nubian Queen Natural Beauty. “It represents freedom for African-Americans. 90% of my products come from Ghana, the motherland.”
The Juneteenth festival held an event each day from June 11 to June 18, targeting a range of interests. Those included a farmer’s market in South Berkeley on Thursday, a workshop for preserving family stories on Friday, and a softball tournament in San Pablo park on Friday.
