The Sun Village Juneteenth celebration kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. with a Ms. Juneteenth pageant. (L to R) Kiara Butler, Elizabeth Enga,Loraina Calderon, Junior Miss Juneteenth Dominique Becerril, Dacia Drake, Renae Mc Clain, Anaya Culver. Photo Credit: ANGELA CLAYTON
SUN VILLAGE – Thousands will converge on Jackie Robinson Park this weekend for the 17th Annual Sun Village Juneteenth celebration.
Juneteenth is an unofficial holiday observed nationwide by millions of African Americans, primarily in the southern states, to commemorate the freeing of the slaves on United States soil. Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when word that President Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves reached Galveston, Texas, one of the last footholds of slavery in the United States.
“In some places, people have no idea what Juneteenth is all about,” said event chair Moses Primus. “But in this particular area, we have a lot people with roots in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, so consequently, the celebration takes on an added meaning out here.”
Juneteenth is one of the most popular celebrations for African Americans in the Antelope Valley, Primus said.
The event will feature numerous live performances. (Photo taken at past event.)
This year’s celebration takes place from Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17. The three-day event will feature a pageant, a children’s carnival, a petting zoo, water games, a car show, a basketball tournament, numerous exhibits and all-day entertainment to include hip hop, gospel, R & B and jazz.
There will be live musical performances by numerous local artists, including Plushlyfe, Mini Mommas, Jamaal Brown, Guerilla Beast, AVC Dancers, Culture Motives and many others.
Primus said the event will also feature a generous helping of soul food.
“Our vendors will be providing various kinds of ethnic foods on all three days,” he said. “We also have vendors selling jewelry, clothing, music and other different items.”
The Juneteenth celebration kicks off around 5 p.m. Friday, June 15 with the Ms. Juneteenth Pageant. Festivities will continue until 10 p.m.
On Saturday, festivities begin at 10 a.m. The official opening ceremony will start at 2 p.m., and will feature this year’s Grand Marshal, Bishop Henry Hearns, posting of the colors by Buffalo Soldiers, with the national anthem sung by Sereen Smith. Concerts will continue throughout the day, featuring different performances every half hour, until around 10 p.m.
Thousands will turnout for the festivities this weekend, organizers said.
Sunday’s Juneteenth events are dubbed “A Father’s Day of Praise.” The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday Service in the park by Bishop Henry Hearns. There will be a second Sunday service at 10 a.m. with Pastor Hughes. Entertainment will continue throughout the day until around 8 p.m.
View a complete line-up of the weekend’s events here.
The 17th Annual Sun Village Juneteenth celebration is presented by the Friends of Jackie Robinson Park and LA County Parks and Recreation.
All festivities take place at the Jackie Robinson Park, located at 8773 East Avenue R (at 90th Street East) in Sun Village. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Proceeds generated from the event will fund scholarships for one graduating high school senior and one Antelope Valley College student looking to transfer to a four-year university.
For more information, call 661-944-2880.
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KUNA KARAMU!!
Congratulations to all the lovely contestant of tonight’s Juneteenth pageant. You are all winners just for taking the stage.
Kudos to you Waunette for your tireless efforts in growing a generation of confident, poised and beautiful young women and grooming them into tomorrow’s leaders. You are to be commended again and again!! Let the celebrations begin!!!
I posted this comment yesterday morning but it’s just showing up now. There must be a delay at this site. The pagaent was last night. Good job girls. Congratulations Elizabeth and Loraina!!
CORRUPT L.A. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Bends The Rules At L.A. County’s Jackie Robinson Park
The upcoming all black, June-Teenth Party at Jackie Robinson Park in Sun Village offers ANOTHER blaring example of the supervisor’s CORRUPTION…
This event is merely an attempt by local small time preacher, Henry Hearns to promote and proselyte for his nearby Cathedral Of Living Stone Of Worship.
It is all about him featuring him as the speaker. Using L.A. County property for free.
No other churches were invited, as is usual with Hearns…
There will reportedly be homemade food offered for sale, with no L.A. County Health Dept. oversight.
Jackie Robinson Park has limited refrigerators that are always full of local community group’s food.
How will the vendors be keeping their food cold enough or hot enough to prevent diseases from infecting party goers?
Will the food vendors be wearing hair nets to keep hairs out of the food? How about wearing plastic gloves? Have they been trained in safe food preparation by the County?
Have they been inoculated, as required of all food servers and preparers for TB?
Who will pay for security? For the clean up? Bishop Hearns?
Who will get sued for people injured there? L.A. County…
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Why are ONLY black people encouraged to attend? How about also inviting the non-black residents of the unincorporated area?
How about not enough Handicapped Parking Spaces for such a large event?
Or the dust raised by having everyone park in the nearby dirt lot? Do those living across the street or downwind in Sun Village count?
But since Hearn’s has always been a go along to get along supporter of the corrupt local leaders, the rules other would have to follow and abide by, apparently do not apply to him.
(Emailed to all the L.A. County Board Of Supervisors, the Health Dept. and Sheriff Baca..)
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The Pageant was open to all girl living in the Antelope Valley and was advertised in the AV Press and Facebook. To the writer all non profit organizations were invited and AV GIBT was sent the information.
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and it includes everyone!
All Pastors were invited to attend thru the AV Community. Its Father’s Day and the two Pastors that agreed because they were able to attend and believe in the Juneteenth Vision. Most people celebrate freedom on July 4, but if you celebrate Juneteenth we as African American celebrate this weekend, you’ll find lots of lots of ways to celebrate Juneteenth, which is a celebration that commemorates the freeing of the last slaves on American soil. All around the state, you can recognize the holiday in various ways with cookouts, pageants, concerts, festivals and more.is one of California’s longest-running Juneteenth celebration.
There is something for everyone to enjoy with a weekend long events including an , Dr. Shaw scholarships,soul food cook-off, talent and comedy shows, and Sunday Gospel Worship Service, Jazz/ R& B concerts, Car Show , Carnival , Petting Zoo and the New Buffalo Soldiers. And by the way Soul Food is food cooked with love!
Aren’t there any pretty young white or hispanic girls living in Sun Village that might wanted to have entered the beauty contest? Or were they simply eliminated?
Can Gay or transgendered kids enter the beauty contest too?
Just IGNORE my questions if you find them “Semi-Offensive..” or if they confuse you or make you somehow uncomfortable like “William (No Last Name..)” says you should do.
One MUST wonder why he chooses to hide his real name? Is he hiding something or ashamed or something?
Just asking…
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And since you weren’t born with the name “Pretty Polyanna”, can we also assume that you are hiding here, too? You hiding something? Ashamed of something?
Ha-ha-ha… Here I thought Soul Food is something eaten only by black folks. The stuff you two listed ARE eaten by white folks too. Lots of people of all colors all over the south eat Okra and Black Eyed Peas and even Macaroni and Cheese… They also eat Craw Fish and Gumbo and Shrimp too…
If white people had a deal where they advertised White Food, (Is that the opposite of Soul Food..?) would that be racist? I suppose that would be white bread and vanilla flavoring, right?
Will the LA County Health Dept. be there to see that the food is kept at a safe tempurature and that plastic gloves are worn by servers? Will it be mostly outdoors?
Will Henry Hearns tell about his childhood AGAIN?
Will the LASD be there to provide security?
And again with the personal attacks that I am racist? I guess that is okay because you are both black?
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So maybe you learned something. It seems you figured out that soul food is eaten by people of all races. No one but you said soul food was eaten by black people only.
Also, it’s not called black food, it’s called soul food. Since when is the word “soul” synonymous with black?
Again, if you are just grossly naive, then consider this a lesson. If you trying to be funny, you’re not succeeding. It’s borderline insulting.
Seeing as though the event is presenting by LA COUNTY Parks and Rec, then I’m sure everything will be checked out by the County Health Dept, as with any other event (i.e. Poppy Festival, AV Fair, etc).
Again, a borderline offensive statement on your part.
And by the way, your “guess” about my racial makeup is dead wrong.
What’s “Soul Food..?” Is it safe to eat?
Are White Folks welcome too?
Just asking…
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Not allowed.
Soul Food is great, especially the Peach Cobbler. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. If you’re trying to be funny, you’re not succeeding. Making racial comments is also unnecessary and unwarranted.
I’m going this weekend and I plan on having a great time. Feel free to stay home and marinate in your racial bubble. I’m sure your only experience with Sun Village is through Frank Zappa in Village of the Sun (great song by the way!)
Every ‘soul food’ item I’ve ever eaten has been great- ribs, mac and cheese, greens, even the okra and I never liked okra before. I don’t know how they do it. Never a bad meal at any soul food restaurant. They say they add ‘love’ and I believe it.