The Marin City Juneteenth Festival
The MC Juneteenth celebration is the legacy festival of Black African Culture in the North Bay Area. The holiday has been celebrated in the SF Bay Area, Texas, and other Black communities in the USA for decades before the federal government declared it a national holiday in 2020.
Before that declaration, June 19th had become synonymous with the end of legalized enslavement of Africans in the United States, even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863.
The Marin City Festival is smaller than its Oakland and Berkeley cousins. However, it is significant in its richness. Surrounded by beautiful nature, Rocky Graham Park welcomes families to slow down and relax.
Located in a formerly 99% African-American small town that has since become more diverse over the decades, many former residents return to the festival to unite with old family and friends and to meet new ones. The atmosphere resembles a big family reunion.
A community block party in the park.
Many people of all races and cultures fondly remember the original Jazz and Blues Festival of the 1980s, which ran for over 13 years in an intimate setting, surrounded by trees. That event was held in a historic setting alongside the old Harriet Tubman building.
The "Festival," as it later became known, was established by Professor of American History and founder and host of "Africa Today," a civic affairs radio show, Walter Turner, Sharon Turner, Delano Dean, Melvin Atkins, Warren Domino, and others.
The festival became so large that it was followed by "Festival on the Green" in a larger community baseball field venue.
The Marin City Juneteenth festival stands on the shoulders of that original festival committee, whose diligent work to bring culture and healing to Marin City and the rest of the Bay Area was life-changing for many youth who grew up in the community. It introduced them to a larger international consciousness outside of their village.
The Marin City Juneteenth Festival highlights local vendors and small businesses who come together in an African Marketplace to share knowledge, food, fashion, jewelry, art, books, and more for all who attend an opportunity to experience African Culture, shop local, and enjoy top-notch performances.
Supervised Child Care is provided in a gated playground. A jumping tent, Face Painting, an art creation table, and horse rides make for a magical experience for children and a relaxing time for parents and family.
The event begins at 11 am with an Opening Ceremony where we honor & remember the ancestors, acknowledge the eldest and youngest person of African descent, sing the traditional USA Negro Anthem, and crown the community king and queen.
The Negro Anthem, Lift Every Voice & Sing was written when African people born in the United States were not considered citizens and who rather than bemoan, created their own.
Out of respect for those ancestors, we continue to honor their tradition of self-reliance and fortitude, despite adversity.
This year, the Marin City Juneteenth Festival theme is Kuumba, the 5th Principle of Kwanzaa, translated from Swahili to mean: Creativity.
Creativity is defined as the ability to do what is needed to leave the communities and the world more beautiful and beneficial than one found it. This encompasses not only creative expression but also critical thinking, and problem solving.
This year's festival is preceded at 9:30 with the 3rd annual Marin City Community Service Districts (MCCSD) Prayer Breakfast at the Senior Center, adjacent to Rocky Graham Park.
Marin City Juneteenth Festival Committee 2025
