14 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth with Kids

Juneteenth, a celebration of liberation, is observed every year on June 19th with celebrations all around the East Bay on the nearest weekend.

2021 has a mix of in-person and virtual events that families can enjoy together. Start with this new Juneteenth Song for kids with Alphabet Rockers and Fyütch. (White allies, here are 10 ideas for you)

Berkeley typically hosts a large Juneteenth gathering on Adeline and Alcatraz Street, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 (canceled again for 2021, but already on the books for 2022!).

Juneteenth for East Bay Families

There are some excellent festivals and events that didn’t strike us as really kid-friendly but then I’d see happy kids in the promo video. Click on through to the specific event to judge for yourself. You know your children.

{VIRTUAL} Afrofuturism Arts-based Porch Talk with MOCHA
Saturday, June 12, 10 am to 11:30
By centering Black voices, we can listen, learn and ask ourselves “how are we building an anti-racist world”? MOCHA uses art as a vehicle to turn love into solidarity in the fight for Black lives. This Porch Talk Series is MOCHA’s efforts to reimagine Blackness and whiteness through art. Register here >

{ROAD TRIP} Solano County Juneteenth Cruise-In Festival in San Francisco
June 18-20 @ Solano County Fairgrounds
With concert performances, wellness exhibits, fashion show, poetry, and comedy, this festival looks pretty huge. $20 per day for adults | Kids under 13 free. Find out more & Get your tickets >

{VIRTUAL} Juneteenth Inclusive Storytime for Ages 2+
Saturday, June 19, 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Ages two and up will enjoy an inclusive and musical storytime featuring three books written by BIPOC authors with BIPOC main characters. Two of the celebrated authors are from the Bay Area. RSVP for free link >

San Francisco Juneteenth Weekend Celebration
June 19-20. Saturday @ Fillmore | Sunday @ Bayview
Promising this year’s Juneteenth weekend will be filled with family-friendly activities, music, food, and community. Find out more > See last year’s event >

Kids Play Zone Grand Opening Celebration
June 19, 10 am to 2 pm @ Kids Play Zone, West Oakland
Celebrate this Black Woman-owned business by coming to her grand opening party at this fantastic indoor play space for toddlers and preschoolers in West Oakland. There will be food and giveaways in addition to the ribbon cutting and fun. Free, but space will be limited Find out more >

Chalk Art in North Berkeley on June 19, 10 am to 4 pm
While not specifically a Juneteenth event, use your chalk art square to celebrate Juneteenth with your children and share your art with the community. Drawing is free, chalk is $10. Chocolate will be available. Find out more >

{VIRTUAL} Alphabet Rockers Juneteenth Concert via Zoom, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Our favorite local Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers (see their video above!) are performing a FREE virtual kids’ dance party, anti-racism class for children, and a discussion about Juneteenth and collective liberation. RSVP here for the party >

Saturday, June 19, 11 am to 6 pm, Juneteenth Mural & Mini Museum Grand Opening. Celebrate freedom, liberation, and Black Joy through art. There will also be food trucks, DJs, and a jumpy house. Party and Mini Museum at Center and Huey P Newton Way, West Oakland. Find more info here >

Saturday, June 19, 11 am to 4 pm, Black Liberation Walking Tour of Oakland. This 5-hour self-guided walking tour celebrates the Hoover-Foster neighborhood’s multigenerational Black history and culture. Join a day of live music, art, and food. Stop by SPARC-It-Place for the official launch of the BLWT, then take a walk, drive, or bike ride around. Please RSVP >

Saturday, June 19, noon to 7 pm, Family Juneteenth @ Mosswood Park. Free food, live DJ, games, face-painting, dancing, and lots of shopping from Black businesses in Oakland. Gather at Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St. Oakland. Find out more >

Saturday, June 19, noon to 8 pm, Oakland Juneteenth Fest. This second annual Oakland Juneteenth Fest happens at the amphitheater at Lake Merritt in Oakland with speakers, live art, and DJs. It is free to join but donations are appreciated. Find out more >

Saturday, June 19, noon to 4 pm, #Bike4Justice Ride. Join Rich City Rides for a cycling protest ride from Richmond through Berkeley to Lake Merritt in Oakland. It is free to join but RSVP is requested. Begin at Richmond BART.

Massive Sports Equipment Giveaway on June 19, noon to 4 pm @ Shattuck & 46th, Oakland
The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse is giving away lots of sports, fitness, and outdoor equipment. Arrive early for the first choice of bicycles (mostly kids’ sizes), golf clubs, all kinds of balls, fitness attire (mostly new), hand weights, shoes, camping equipment, and lawn games. Find out more >

Saturday, June 19, 2 pm to 5 pm, Black Joy StoryWindows Art Walk, Oakland.  Black Joy StoryWindows is a curated, self-guided multi-media art exhibition installed in 30+ storefront businesses located in Downtown Oakland highlighting the artwork of more than 20 local Black artists and Black-led arts and cultural organizations and businesses. The grand opening celebration is 2 pm to 5 pm.

Learn about Juneteenth from the Oakland Public Library.

Looking for some new restaurants to try? Even my pickiest eater likes waffles. We love this round-up of Black-owned restaurants in the East Bay — get takeout or delivery all week long.

Buy Black merchandise. The people behind Oakland’s Black Joy Parade have assembled a local Black-owned marketplace worth checking out. Vendors include many (510) parents and friends like Robert Liu-Trujillo (who makes lots of cool kid-centric, affirming art available in his Etsy shop).

Oakland’s Juneteenth Wellness Box was curated by PHAT Yoga and celebrates Oakland BIPOC stores and artists with a wellness theme. Check it out.

Canceled we think: NAACP Black Family Weekend Juneteenth Cookout
June 19, 10 am to 8 pm @ Temescal Park
Music by Rick & Russ, Ancestral Libation Ceremony, Djembe Circle, Afro-Caribbean Dance Parade, and free swimming lessons for the kids. Reservations include 2 parking permits, entertainment, goody bag and your spot. Lawn space with no cooking access is $40. The table cookout area is $60.

 

Support Black youth in our area! Our (510) community suggested their favorite organizations, dance classes, bike shops, coding programs, and outdoor education groups for Black youth in the East Bay. Sign up for a class, make a donation, or do both.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is honored every year on June 19. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.