This Friday marked the first time Juneteenth or "June 19" was recognized as a federal holiday.
People throughout the Bay Area are embracing the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people after President Joe Biden made it official Thursday.
Juneteenth is the 12th federal holiday and the first since the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was created in 1983.
The official holiday will be June 19, which is Saturday, and likely will be observed on a Friday or Monday when the date falls on a weekend. This year, Friday was declared the observed holiday, which means most county offices were closed and most county employees had a paid day off.
The Bay Area is celebrating with several events this weekend. NBC Bay Area has compiled a list of Juneteenth events that are happening in the Bay Area this weekend.
Free Admission to East Bay Parks on Juneteenth
On Saturday, East Bay Regional Park district and Outdoor Afro will commemorate Juneteenth by waiving park entry fees. This includes fees for park entrance, parking, dogs, horses, boat launching and fishing.
Healdsburg Juneteenth
The City is of Healdsburg is hosting the 23rd annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival. The event will hold a day of concerts for their inaugural Juneteenth celebration. The all day event begins at 8:30 a.m. Visit healdsburgjazz.org for full details.
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The Museum of the African Diaspora 's Juneteenth Event
On Saturday, The Museum of the African Diaspora will celebrate Juneteenth with several virtual programs. Including a panel of scholars discussing origins and significance of Juneteenth. The event will begin at 11 a.m. For more information, visit moadsf.org.
Los Altos Juneteenth
The Justice Vanguard will hold a Juneteenth event at Lincoln Park, located at 199 University Avenue in Los Altos. The event starts at 1 p.m.
Oakland Story Windows
The event will be a grand opening event for the Black Joy Story Windows Project, a socially distanced outdoor art walk in storefronts along Broadway in Oakland. Event will start at 2 p.m. at Latham Square on Broadway, between 14th and 17th streets.
Oakland Juneteenth Jubilee
At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor and other community members will hold a Juneteenth jubilee. The event will also include Oakland's first poet laureate, Ayodele Nzinga. The event takes place at the Town Kitchen, located at 344 Thomas L. Berkley Way in Oakland.
SF Juneteenth Screening of Movie
At 9 p.m. on Saturday, the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco is hosting a special Juneteenth screening of "Ailey." The event will include introduction from director Jamila Wignot. RSVP is required. It will take place at the Fort Mason Flix Drive-In, at 2 Marina Blvd. in San Francisco. For more information, visit frameline.org.
Juneteenth Freedom Celebration: Job, Wellness and Resources Fair in Hayward
The City of Hayward is partnering with Kaiser Permanente and Hayward Black business roundtable for this community event on Juneteenth. In addition to the celebration of the holiday, Kaiser Permanente will provide COVID-19 vaccinations and free COVID-19 testing. The first 300 people vaccinated will receive $50 gift cards. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hayward City Hall Plaza. For more information, visit hayward-ca.gov.