Juneteenth Celebration Draws Crowds At Diamond Stadium In Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The history and legacy of Juneteenth was on full display at Diamond Stadium, attracting hundreds of people to an event where unity and liberation were a recurring theme shared among attendees on Friday.

The Juneteenth celebration was presented by the NAACP Lake Elsinore branch, and marked its second year at Diamond Stadium. The event started at 6 p.m. and included a DJ, a photo booth, and family-oriented activities.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday, which has been celebrated in African-American communities since 1866, is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Black Independence Day.

Stacey Dove, an artisan crafter and vendor at the event said she felt compelled to show support for the Black community as she balanced conversations with eventgoers while fielding questions about her custom jewelry.

"I wanted to come out to Juneteenth to celebrate with my brothers and sisters and have a good time in this fun, and festive environment," said Dove as guests passed and complimented her jewelry.

"Everybody likes my jewelry but my African American people like it because we're original, and we like original things. And I'm original so I'm going to give them originality," she said with a laugh.

On Friday, Lake Elsinore Mayor Pro Tem Tim Sheridan spoke to the audience and said the annual Juneteenth celebration is important to the city. He added that the mayor and city are committed to continuing to support the event

"We look forward to having this event, and we look forward to having it here for the future," said Sheridan.

Kyndall Foster, a first time as a vendor at the Juneteenth event, said she enjoyed the sentiments shared at the celebration.

"We've been getting a lot of positive feedback. They like a lot of our designs. They're African American or showing Black positivity so we want to keep on giving that energy," she said.

Political and community organizations such as the Democrats of Southwest Riverside County also appeared at the celebration, speaking with guests at the event to learn about the issues that concern them.

Erika Belmont said she trekked to the Juneteenth celebration from Escondido hoping to find a sense of community amid a what she called a "rough time" in the United States for African Americans, pointing to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which opponents have said dilutes a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act passed during the Civil Rights Movement.

"It's nice to be here and celebrate, but there are also a lot of issues that aren't getting the attention they deserve," said Belmont.

"We have to continue to share as a community and organize, which is what Juneteenth is about — equality and freedom."