(Black PR Wire) LONG BEACH, CA – One of the largest Juneteenth events in Southern California returns to Long Beach on June 15 at Rainbow Lagoon Park (400 E. Shoreline Dr.). With DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak) as the headliner, this year’s event promises to be the best one yet! Last year, more than 15,000 people attended the festival throughout the day, making this Long Beach’s largest Black cultural event. Producer and Founder Carl Kemp expects this year’s event to be even greater. The free, ticketed festival is a joyous celebration of Black excellence and history, with a line up that includes step shows, gospel, jazz, poetry and Black artists, artisans and food trucks providing activations throughout the festival campus.

Tickets for the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration are free, but reservations are required. Reserve your tickets at www.lbjuneteenth.com.

“Each year, our goal is to curate an event that allows lovers of Black culture to celebrate with joy, dignity and unity in a peaceful environment,” said Kemp. “With DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak) as our headliner, every aspect of the event is ‘going up!’ as the young folks say, and having him perform has been my dream from the start. It is truly a blessing to work with our dedicated team of volunteers, generous sponsors, and beautiful community, and we I am grateful to have this opportunity to bring Black joy to the city I love.”

"I'm looking forward to celebrating Black freedom," said DJ Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak. "I've got a special set cooked up and I can't wait to vibe with the city of LBC."

“The Juneteenth Celebration is a great opportunity to visit the Long Beach waterfront and enjoy one of our fastest growing cultural festivals,” said Steve Goodling, President & CEO of Visit Long Beach. “We are proud to again sponsor this free community event, which features an incredible lineup and fun for all ages.”

The festival centers around a mainstage lineup of performers including a step show by Black Greek fraternities and sororities from Southern California colleges, as well as various musical, poetry, and comedy performances.

Activations throughout the festival grounds include: a Kings & Queens Village for children, cosponsored by the YMCA of Greater Long Beach and The LA Kings hockey team; booths showcasing local artisans and nonprofits; as well as a food truck lineup with offerings from Black owned businesses including Harold & Belles, Comfort Wingz, and the Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen.

Major sponsors include the Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Unified School District, Visit Long Beach, Disneyland, Amazon, and Councilman Al Austin.

For more details and updates, visit www.lbjuneteenth.com and follow @lbjuneteenth on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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About Juneteenth: Declared a national holiday in 2021, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, which took place two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law. Without Union forces present, Texas had resisted freeing the enslaved until the arrival of Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston on June 19, 1865. Bringing with him the news that the war had ended and slaves must be set free, slavery was finally put to an end. The Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration honors this occasion and celebrates the contributions, history, potential and culture of Black America.

About the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration: Founded by Carl Kemp in 2021, the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration is a living legacy of the grassroots celebrations that came before it, with the torch passed by Black community leaders in the city over the years. The first Juneteenth celebration in Long Beach was produced by Connie Oden, a former city employee with the Parks, Marine and Recreation Department. Celebrations have also been organized over the years by former Vice Mayor Dee Andrews, Councilwoman Laura Richardson, Councilman Jim Wilson, the NAACP and community leader John Malveaux. In 2020, Kemp consulted with Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr., head of Antioch Church of Long Beach, about creating a Juneteenth celebration in the city’s downtown core. With support from trailblazer sponsors and participation and volunteerism of community groups like Care Closet, Kemp produced and held the first largescale Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 2021. This year marks the third annual production of the festival.

Source: Visit Long Beach