Hundreds gather to celebrate at Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival
Hundreds of people gathered in Leimert Park Monday for the Leimert Park Village Juneteenth Festival.
The celebration in Leimert Park has been taking place for more than 70 years, making the festival one of the oldest Juneteenth events in the country.
Taking over several streets of Leimert Park Village, the festival featured an array of Black-owned vendors showcasing art, food, and one of a kind art pieces. The festival also featured musical performances by special guests including Jasmine Sullivan, Too $hort and Wale.
“Everything you see here is designed, handmade and crafted from Ghana,” said Deidra Dixon, one of the participating vendors.
For the first time this year, the Los Angeles City County declared Juneteenth a permanent paid holiday for city employees. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation in America, began in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger informed the remaining enslaved Black people in Texas of their freedom, but wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 2021.
“I think it’s the fact of us celebrating each other, the inclusion, and the sheer launch path that this has come to be,” said DJ Qwees Coast, executive producer of the festival. “With over 300 businesses on the block, this is the place during the summer where some of these businesses have their record-sale day.”
“Juneteenth for me is something that I’ve already celebrated since I was a child,” said Alejandra Gentry, one of the festival attendees. “My great grandmother was born in East Texas and she told me stories of picking cotton, horrible people and interactions. She’s the one that taught me about Juneteenth.”
The event will be held until 9 p.m. and is free and open to the public. More information can be found here.
Source: KTLA Los Angeles
