OCEANSIDE: Annual Juneteenth celebration set for Saturday

By North County Times | Thursday, June 12, 2008 11:51 AM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- An annual party that celebrates the emancipation of slaves at the end of the American Civil War will be held in Oceanside on Saturday.

The 22nd annual Juneteenth Multicultural Celebration and Street Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Oceanside Bandshell near the Oceanside Municipal Pier. The free event will offer live jazz and gospel music, arts and crafts displays, food courts and health screenings.

The festival is organized by the North County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which has staged the Juneteenth celebration in Oceanside for more than 20 years.  

Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Africans at the close of the Civil War. The celebration takes its name from June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

With the 19th falling on a Thursday this year, Oceanside has moved its annual Juneteenth observance up a few days to fall on a weekend so more people can enjoy the festivities, according to Chaplain Gerald Johnson, president of the North County branch of the NAACP.

Johnson said that in past years, the Juneteenth celebration was a two- to three-day affair, but this year, plans were scaled back because the NAACP is gearing up for the 100th anniversary of Juneteenth next year, and wants to focus its energies on that. As a result, the usual Friday night program has been canceled this year and the Sunday comedy show has been postponed until July.

For information on the local chapter of the NAACP and its programs, call (760) 754-9686 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Ralphie wrote on Jun 12, 2008 2:18 PM:Why? And if this "celebration" is to be held, then just be sure the celebrants are reminded that the democrats supported slavery, and the republicans stood for freedom.

To Ralphie wrote on Jun 12, 2008 3:36 PM:And then remind them that know that role is reversed

Ralphie wrote on Jun 12, 2008 7:26 PM:wrong-o. Democrats just want to keep minorities "in their place." And why don't you learn to spell?

Its all about minorities wrote on Jun 12, 2008 7:28 PM:We have a Samoan festival at the pier, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, etc. Why not a St. Patricks festival or an Italian festival or a Polish festival. Oh wait, that's right, we aren't minorities. My bad! The one event that embraces everyone is the Easter Sunrise Service!

History lesson wrote on Jun 12, 2008 9:41 PM:At that time period Ralphie, the party known as the republicans were the current democratic party of today and the democratic party was actually the republicans. Pay attention in history class!! :)

max wrote on Jun 12, 2008 11:54 PM:I cannot believe that in North County there are people that have problems with celebrating the emancipation of slaves. If italians (i am one of them ) feel like they should also be celebrated (we do already with a stupid parade for Columbus day) why don't you "it's all about minorities" get to work and create the condition to be represented? is this maybe too much work?

to ralphie wrote on Jun 13, 2008 7:26 AM:you should have followed along in class...

Yeah wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:25 AM:I would like to attend a Polish, German, Italian, Irish, etc festival downtown Oceanside, bring it on! In other words, I agree with max.

Not everyone wrote on Jun 13, 2008 1:30 PM:Not everyone is Christian and not everyone celebrates Easter. Whoever made that comment is either ignorrant or narrow minded and uneducated. As for any other kind of festival, more power to us all for celebratig our differences and our commonalities too.

How come wrote on Jun 13, 2008 3:30 PM:no Gay Pride celebration in North County?

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