The 'Epicenter' Of Juneteenth Celebrations Is Coming To The East Bay

OAKLAND, CA — Organizers are setting up for a "hella" good time at the Hella Juneteenth Festival this year.

The Hella Juneteenth Festival takes place Friday at Prescott Market in West Oakland from noon to 6 p.m. It's part of a week-long celebration in the town.

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Hella Juneteenth is an annual celebration of "Black freedom, joy and culture" where music, food, art and movement collide, according to organizers.

"Hella Juneteenth honors the legacy of Juneteenth while creating intentional space to celebrate Black culture, resilience and community in Oakland," organizers said. "Pull up to the cookout."

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the day in 1865 when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free. It was more than two months after the end of the Civil War, and about two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, the June 19 holiday is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States.

Tickets to Hella Juneteenth Festival can be purchased online.