|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Tri-Valley residents looking to celebrate Juneteenth locally will have a number of events to choose from this week as organizations gear up to host Freedom Day festivities.
On Thursday (June 18) the city of Dublin will commemorate Juneteenth during its summer concert series and farmer’s market at Emerald Glen Park. The event, set from 4-8 p.m., will feature the band Best Intentions, performing Motown and R&B hits, according to city officials.
Two days later, Tri-Valley for Black Lives is bringing its annual Juneteenth festival back to the Bankhead Plaza in Livermore from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sponsored by Livermore Valley Arts, the free and family-friendly affair is set to feature a vendor market with nearly two dozen Black-owned businesses and local nonprofits.
Like Dublin, live music will also be at the center of Saturday’s celebration in Livermore, with performances by Oakland native and vocalist SAH Stewart, followed by local funk music act RAW Band.
The Patton Leatha Band will headline the day with its extensive repertoire that spans Motown classics, R&B, soul and funk.
“In our 6th year putting on this celebration, we’ve made several changes in our format,” said Tri-Valley for Black Lives organizer Georgette Thomason. “This year, our performance stage will feature a headliner, Patton Leatha Band, with RAW Band as the opener. Past Festival goers will notice the stage on the opposite side of the lawn, as well as many new vendors and community groups. It’s going to be a good time. Come celebrate with us!”
Both the Dublin and Livermore festivals will be emceed by Faith Alpher — radio personality, comedian, author and the city of Livermore’s newest poet laureate.
“Juneteenth is a celebration of our history, our culture, and our vibrancy and I intend to use this platform to make sure our stories are told, preserved and heard,” Alpher told the Pleasanton Weekly.
She was officially sworn into the poet laureate position at the June 8 Livermore City Council meeting.
“Growing up, I always knew I wanted to write but I was constantly discouraged or told to write a ‘certain’ way,” Alpher said.
She continued, “What I’ve learned is that we all carry different gifts, and no one should ever be made to stifle theirs. Being sworn in as the first person of color to serve as Poet Laureate of Livermore is a moment I carry with great pride. Not just for myself, but for every voice that was told it didn’t belong. I am the first, but I will not be the last.”
Alpher is also hosting a free Juneteenth talk at the Bankhead on Thursday (June 18) at 3 p.m. titled “Silence is not an option: Reclaiming our voice in an era of erasure”
“This Juneteenth Pre-Kickoff Celebration is a reminder that our culture, our joy, and our resilience are not up for debate. When we gather, we remember. When we speak, we reclaim,” the event description reads.
The official Juneteenth holiday falls on Friday (June 19) and Livermore-based Black-owned winery Longevity Wines is hosting a family game night featuring Kirix Choma BBQ for purchase on-site. According to the winery’s website, the event is set for 6:30-9:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.
The East Bay Regional Park District is also set to recognize Juneteenth by hosting public programs — including a Juneteenth celebration walk at Thurgood Marshall Regional Park in Concord — and waiving select fees at its parks.
“This program honors stories of Black history, civil rights, and the fight for freedom on this land. Come ready for a mostly paved 1-1.5-mile walk. Best for ages 10+,” EBRPD officials wrote on their website about the celebration walk.
For more information about EBRPD’s events, visit ebparks.org.
Rounding out the region’s lineup of events is Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir returning to the Bankhead for their annual Juneteenth Celebration Concert.
Set for June 27 at 8 p.m., the choir’s performance “honors freedom and community through the transformative power of gospel music.”
More information and tickets are available at livermorearts.org.
Livermore poised to resist potential reuse of former Dublin prison as ICE facilityJune 14, 2026 6:20 pm