Downtown parade, festival and more planned for Juneteenth 2022 festivities in Merced
Celebrations of the nation’s newest federal holiday are slated to be bigger than ever in Merced this year, as the community gathers for a weekend of festivities honoring Juneteenth — including a first-time parade.
Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. after the Civil War, has been commemorated annually for over a century.
“Juneteenth is an inspiration to all of us as to where we came from and where we’re going,” Merced resident and local NAACP chapter member Tamara Cobb said while addressing the City Council Monday. “Juneteenth celebrates freedom of all American people.”
The holiday’s roots go back to June 19, 1865. Although President Abraham Lincoln presented the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, it wasn’t until then that Black slaves in Texas were freed and slavery in the U.S. finally ended.
Black communities in Texas and beyond have celebrated Juneteenth since, according to the NAACP.
It wasn’t until last year, though, that President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially recognizing it as a federal holiday.
Merced Mayor Matt Serratto honored the holiday by issuing a Juneteenth proclamation during Monday’s City Council meeting.
“Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience,” Serratto said while addressing members of the public and the NAACP Merced County Branch.
“It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities, as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend.”
Juneteenth festivities in Merced
This month, festivities commemorating the holiday will be bigger and more joyful than ever, organizers say. Celebrations will kick off June 17 and run through the 19.
“We wanted to make Juneteenth the biggest and baddest its ever been,” NAACP Merced County Branch President Allen Brooks told the Sun-Star.
The biggest event will be the Juneteenth Parade on June 18. The parade, largely organized by Cobb, is a first for Merced’s Juneteenth celebrations.
The event is put on by several community groups that came together to make this year’s Juneteenth special, Brooks said. Those groups include the local NAACP chapter, Positive Brothers United and the Black Parallel School Board.
The march will begin from the Merced Theatre at 10 a.m. and travel to McNamara Park. As parade-goers arrive at the park, they can enjoy a festival with free food and drinks, games with prizes, live performances and vendors.
“Everybody should come out and enjoy some culture and enjoy themselves,” Brooks said. “It’ll be a wonderful celebration.”
Before the parade, festivities will get started on June 17 at Gilbert Macias Park with a community day for families. Children up to age 5 can enjoy face painting, rock painting and a bounce house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The weekend will close out with another community park day on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Joe Herb Park.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
