SAN ANTONIO – Despite the South Texas heat, thousands of people gathered at Comanche Park No. 2 to celebrate Juneteenth, honoring the day enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free.
The Official Juneteenth Festival brought together families, friends, community organizations and vendors for a celebration filled with live music, food, scholarships and cultural pride.
Many attendees said the holiday carries deep meaning and serves as an opportunity to reflect on history while celebrating together.
“We are so excited to be here today to celebrate this,” Pamela Hopkins said. “This is history for us, for Black folks today. Because for years, Black people didn’t know that they were free. And so we are just so thankful to be able to come together and celebrate this.”
For others, the festival has become a family tradition.
“I come back every summertime to visit my mom and visit their grandparents, and we come here for the good fellowship, the great food, the great fried fish, and to see our friends and family here as well,” Vinyette Ervin said.
Vinyette’s 12-year-old daughter, Dav’da’vine Knight said, “It’s exciting for me to learn something new about Juneteenth. It makes me feel grateful and thankful for it.”
Along with music and entertainment, several community groups used the festival to give back.
The Flotilla Boating And Fishing Club highlighted its scholarship program for local students, funded in part through its annual fish fry tradition.
“We’re here with a major scholarship fund for our high school students,” Commodore Terry Martin said. “We do an annual fish fry, about 2,000 plates. We take pride in what we do, and it’s been a yearly thing for over 50 years.”
Even triple-digit temperatures were not enough to keep people away.
“Well, we don’t care about the temperature,” Hopkins said. “We’re just excited to be able to come together and celebrate this great day.”
The Official Juneteenth Festival continues through Saturday at Comanche Park No. 2, with more live music, vendors, food and family friendly activities planned throughout the weekend.
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