SAN ANTONIO – More than 100 people participated during San Antonio’s annual Juneteenth parade on Saturday, by traveling nearly three miles to honor freedom, history, and community.
The San Antonio Juneteenth Coalition kicked off the day at Sam Houston High School with a vibrant parade featuring participants walking, riding in cars, on horseback, and showcasing floats. The festivities continued at Comanche Park No. 2, where attendees enjoyed a variety of food, local vendors, live music, and poetry performances.
Lashanda Robinson, a festival attendee, emphasized the significance of participation in honoring the holiday: “For me, that’s the best part, because it actually is an action. You being able to express your belief in action, showing up and being present.”
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates the arrival of Union troops in Galveston in 1865, who announced the freedom of over 250,000 enslaved individuals in Texas. This pivotal moment occurred more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, highlighting the delayed impact of this landmark legislation.
Emma Rogers-Jordan, a vendor at the festival, expressed unity and togetherness, stating, “We are the one, there’s no separation.” This sentiment echoes the spirit of Juneteenth as a celebration of African American culture and resilience.
Widely recognized as the nation’s “second Independence Day,” this year’s festivities were particularly poignant as the Freedom Coalition of San Antonio acknowledged the contributions of African American trailblazers over the past 250 years. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones remarked, “It’s a really important reminder for all of us to be thinking about how we can also always uplift communities that have traditionally been underserved, if not completely written out of history.”
Looking ahead, 2026 will mark 30 years since the first organized Juneteenth festival in San Antonio, a milestone that highlights the growth of this celebration. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar reflected on the evolution of the event, stating, “We’ve been out here for some years where it’s very, very empty in some spots and then you get to a bigger crowd. But now it’s starting to look like it’s filling in the whole way to where this thing’s going to be as big as any other parade in San Antonio very soon.”
The celebrations are set to continue into the following week, with the San Antonio Juneteenth Commission hosting its annual golf tournament on Monday, June 22, followed by the inaugural pickleball tournament on Saturday, June 27.
Juneteenth Annual Golf Tournament
Juneteenth 1st Annual Pickleball Tournament
