Vendor booths line Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium during the NAACP Lake Elsinore Branch 1034 Juneteenth Celebration.
The NAACP Lake Elsinore Branch 1034 hosted its second annual Juneteenth celebration June 19 at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium, featuring vendors, performances and family activities.
The event drew a large crowd as attendees shopped with local businesses, visited community resource booths and enjoyed face painting and a free photo booth. A live DJ provided music throughout the evening, and local groups, including youth dancers from New Birth Church, performed for attendees.
Youth dancers from New Birth Church perform following the opening ceremony at the Juneteenth Celebration.
The celebration opened with a ceremony that included a prayer, the national anthem and a presentation of colors by a local high school color guard.
Rosie Brady, president of NAACP Branch 1034, welcomed attendees and spoke about the meaning of Juneteenth.
“Juneteenth is not only a celebration of freedom, it is a celebration of community, culture, education and hope for the future,” Brady said. “As we celebrate, we honor the sacrifices of our ancestors, we recognize the progress that has been made, and we commit ourselves to the work that still lies ahead.”
Throughout the event, attendees enjoyed the entertainment and moved between vendor booths.
Among those vendors was Erika Rodgers, who displayed books written by members of her family, including one she wrote inspired by her grandson.
“It’s called ‘Our Perfect Gift,’ and it’s about the things that he likes to do,” Rodgers said. “Then, there’s an activity page in there for kids to note down the things that they like to do.”
Erika Rodgers displays books written by her and her family members at her vendor booth.
Rodgers said she and her husband were excited to attend their first Juneteenth celebration in Lake Elsinore.
“We’ve been looking for Juneteenth celebrations since we’ve been living in California,” Rodgers said. “It’s a community event for everybody to be around each other.”
Kyla Wilkenfeld-Bronson, founder of Heartsong Interpreting, said participating in the event was an opportunity for her business to connect with the community.
“We are a Black female-run, Deaf-run interpreting agency,” Wilkenfeld-Bronson said. “I started this agency 20 years ago. And I set it up because I was really frustrated seeing Deaf people not represented culturally as well as linguistically.”
Wilkenfeld-Bronson also reflected on the importance of Juneteenth.
“It’s our history,” she said. “It’s our time to recognize that we are still fighting to look for equality, for rights, for everything and when we all come together, magic happens. We need to have spaces where everybody comes together, works together and really supports one another because without that we’re lost.”
Vendor Monica Rue, a fiber and textile artist, said representation was one of the most meaningful parts of the event.
“It’s important for kids to feel like they are represented somewhere, because a lot of times you don’t see it in movies and things like that,” Rue said. “So, having someplace where they can go and they go, ‘Oh my goodness, everyone looks like me,’ it’s a beautiful thing for the kids to see that. I think as a community it’s important for children to be able to see that representation.”
Monica Rue displays handwoven, hand-dyed and crocheted textile pieces at her vendor booth.
Rue also owns Borrego Valley Community Radio, a radio station that provides music, local news, and community programs to Borrego Springs and surrounding San Diego County.
“As far as I know, I’m the only African American female in the state of California that has a radio station,” Rue said.
Terry and Shadelle Wells, representing First Baptist Church of Perris, said they returned after participating in the event last year. They said events like the Juneteenth celebration help bring people together.
“We get to see new businesses, new organizations, so it just keeps everything diverse,” Wells said. “It keeps us in tune with one another in fellowship, as well as building relationships with others.”
