DEL MAR — The celebration of Juneteenth, the historic holiday commemorating the emancipation of Black people from slavery in the United States, took center stage at the region’s biggest event on Friday with an inaugural festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
This was the first year the San Diego County Fair held a Juneteenth festival, allowing residents to enjoy music and dance, shop at Black-owned businesses, and honor the history of Black people in the United States.
Juneteenth celebrates the day on June 19, 1865, when around 250,000 enslaved Texans learned that they were free from slavery, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
The first celebrations of Juneteenth took place in Texas, but can now be found all over the United States. Juneteenth became recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.
“So now, we come together because this is another recognition of freedom, for those who weren’t given freedom when everybody else was celebrating their freedom,” said Kendrick Dial, the emcee of the Juneteenth festival at the Fairgrounds. “Today we come together, because Black history is everybody’s history, to celebrate with all of us in community.”
The Juneteenth festival at the Chevrolet Paddock Stage was full of music and dancing, drawing in both general fairgoers and those who came specifically for the event. San Diego dance group Errrverybodi Line Dancers led an all-ages crowd in the Electric Slide and other dances throughout the day. 
Attendees also experienced performances by the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s African Drummers and Dancers Ensemble, jazz guitarist and singer Elliot Lawrence, blues musician Lenard “Fuzzy” Rankin, DJ Terry “Kool T” Spears, and spoken word poetry by Dial, who also leads award-winning hip-hop group The Lyrical Groove.
Several Black-owned businesses were also present to sell clothing, cosmetics, and more, and interact with the community. One business was Mvinyo Book Bar, a wine-and-book bar featuring wines made by winemakers of color, which is preparing to open in southeast San Diego.
Mvinyo co-owners Marilyn Harvey and Jhosie Cheeks said it was great to see Juneteenth be celebrated at the Fairgrounds, where it may reach people who otherwise may not be familiar with it.
“I think this is lovely, actually, to make Juneteenth be an integral part of just such an American event, which is the county fair, and Juneteenth is such an important part of American history,” said Harvey. “To see the diverse crowd coming out … we were very excited to come and share.”
North County residents can also celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday at NAACP North San Diego County‘s annual Juneteenth Cultural Celebration in downtown Oceanside at 10 a.m.
The 2026 San Diego County Fair is open Wednesdays through Sundays until July 5. Several other free cultural festivals are also taking place during the fair, including the Asian and Pacific Islander Festival last weekend and upcoming events like Out at the Fair, the Gospel Festival, the K-Pop Festival, and the Black and Brown Festival Showcase.
More photos from the San Diego County Fair:
