Most city and county of San Diego government offices will be closed Monday in observance of Juneteenth, with events for the holiday beginning this weekend.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the freedom of former slaves in the U.S. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on June 19, 1865, more than two months after the end of the Civil War, slaves learned they were free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. The day became a federal holiday in 2021.
Celebrations
Here are some community events to mark Juneteenth, beginning Saturday:
- Oceanside – the North San Diego County NAACP will host its free Juneteenth Multicultural Celebration downtown on Pier View Way at North Coast Highway from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
- Logan Heights – the Cooper Family Foundation hosts the free Healing the Community Festival at Memorial Park in Logan Heights from at 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. See performers on two stages, including the Bar-Kays and Erissa. There will be more music, an educational program, health and wellness resources and food trucks too.
- Balboa Park – the Axis community program at the Old Globe features a Juneteenth Celebration in collaboration with the George L. Stevens Senior Center at noon Saturday. Hosted by Gill Sotu, the event includes an original play written by Miki Vale and community collaborators. Tickets are free, but register online.
- East Village – the latest edition of the R&B Block Party at the Quartyard celebrates the holiday with blue-eyed soul, 70’s Jams and R&B fusion from hiphop to dance hall, reggae and Afrocentric/Caribbean beats. Tickets for the event, at 5 p.m. Saturday, are limited, at $25.
- East Village – UC San Diego Park & Market, with a co-presenter, the Black Chamber of Commerce, offers an afternoon of free activities, beginning from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Includes a Black-owned business market, panel discussion and live choir, neo-soul and jazz performances.
- Oceanside – the Black Storytellers of San Diego hold a free Storytelling Concert at the Mission branch of the public library, 3861 Mission Ave. The event, at 3 p.m. Sunday, will include stories and histories commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth.
- La Jolla – the San Diego Black Artist Collective performs “Get on Board,” a look at the evolution of Black music, at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater. Tickets for the show, 7:30 p.m. Monday, are free, but must be claimed online.
Closures – City of San Diego
In the city of San Diego, all administrative offices will be closed.
Curbside trash, recyclables and organic waste will be collected as scheduled for customers served by the Environmental Services Department.
San Diego’s Miramar Landfill, Greenery and Recycling Center will be open. The city’s container sales at 8353 Miramar Place will be closed.
The Development Services Department call center for appointments and inspection services will be closed. All other online services, including researching zoning information, submitting new project applications, re-submittals and payments remain available online.
City golf courses will be open during normal hours, but oliday rates apply. The Mission Trails Regional Park and Visitor Center, Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and all city skate parks will be open. The Tecolote Canyon Nature Center will be closed. City swimming pools and city recreation centers will be closed.
All public buildings in Balboa Park will be closed, including the Municipal Gym, Morley Field and Balboa Park Activity Center. Check with individual museums and other park attractions for their holiday schedules.
El Capitan, Miramar, Murray and San Vicente reservoirs will be open. Depending on inclement weather, Chollas Lake will be open. All other city reservoirs will be closed.
Parking meters, time restrictions for parking on streets, yellow zones and posted street sweeping routes within the city of San Diego will not be enforced. All other parking violations will be enforced.
Additionally, all libraries will be closed. Police and Fire-Rescue emergency crews are not impacted by holiday closures.
Closures – San Diego County
All offices, libraries, family resource centers and animal shelters will be closed Monday.
Law enforcement, emergency animal control response and other essential services will continue.
County parks, campgrounds and neighborhood day-use parks remain open 365 days a year. However, several locations will be closed, including community centers in Fallbrook, Lakeside, Spring Valley and Valley Center, the Spring Valley Gymnasium, 4S Ranch Recreation Office and community teen centers.
All county public health clinics will be closed Monday. All county offices will resume normal business hours Tuesday.
– Staff and wire reports
