Here’s where to celebrate Juneteenth in Los Angeles County this weekend

Juneteenth is marked for Monday, but Los Angeles County residents hoping to commemorate the newest federal holiday won’t have to wait to celebrate with a number of block parties and cookouts set to kick off this weekend.

Observed each year on June 19, Juneteenth — otherwise known as “Freedom Day� or “Emancipation Day� — marks the moment in 1865 when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, of their freedom. The news arrived two months after the Confederacy had surrendered and about 2½ years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the Southern states.

The first Juneteenth celebrations recorded in the state of Texas occurred in 1866 with family and church gatherings. Similar festivities would be held from coast to coast in the decades to follow.

President Biden signed legislation marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021. The Los Angeles City Council voted earlier this month to follow suit and ratify Juneteenth as a permanent paid holiday for city employees, almost a year after then-Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a proclamation to create the holiday.

Here’s a list of a few festivities happening in L.A. County this weekend to recognize the occasion.

Saturday

* A performance from Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer Hit-Boy will be the main event at Pasadena’s 15th Juneteenth celebration occurring from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Robinson Park. Arts and crafts, local vendors, food and community resources will also be available for attendees.

* The Taste of Compton Juneteenth Celebration will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1051 W. Rosecrans Ave. in Compton, where food, crafts and live music workshops will accompany housing and business workshops.

* The city of Carson and Carson Citizens Cultural Arts Foundation invites people of all ages to a free Juneteenth Rhythm & Blues Celebration at Mills Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is themed “A Celebration of Freedom and Achievements of African American Luminaries� and will feature live music by funk band Slave and other musical acts in addition to art, food and a car show.

* A Juneteenth Father’s Day Celebration starts at 10 a.m. to commemorate the life of Bridgette Cromer, a 32-year-old woman who died shortly after giving birth in March. A community baby shower, festival and resources fair featuring free haircuts ultrasounds will follow. Child support services, health, employment and education resources are expected to be on hand along with dental services at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Public Health.

* Monrovia’s third Juneteenth Celebration will be held Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. at Monrovia Station Square Park where live music, games, dancing, vendors and more will be available.

* Rocky Young Park at Pierce College will be the site of another free Juneteenth Community Celebration from 1 to 6 p.m. The family-friendly celebration will include a beauty pageant, guest speakers, live performances, games, yoga, raffles and Black business vendors.

* SoulfulofNoise is hosting its annual Juneteenth Festival at Amelia Mayberry Park from noon to 8 p.m. Dedicated to uplifting the entire community, the event will feature live music, a barbershop and beauty salon, and entrepreneur workshop. Vendors, food trucks and games will be on hand. Attendance is free with a reservation on Eventbrite.

Sunday

* The Taste of Inglewood Juneteenth Street Festival seeks to honor fathers and the upcoming holiday with diverse food and live entertainment from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The event will stretch from Market Street between Regent Street and Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood.

* The fourth caravan parade of registered vehicles, Juneteenth in L.A., begins at 1 p.m. near Inglewood High School and ends at City Hall near the Taste of Inglewood street festival. More information can be found at juneteenthinla.com.

* More than six miles of open streets in South L.A. will be available for biking, walking or skating during the Juneteenth Celebration, Resource Fair and CicLAvia South L.A. event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Presented by L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, CicLAvia and Metro, the event will include live performances, food and resources relating to record expungement, mental health services and tenant protections.

Monday

* The Leimert Village Juneteenth Festival, to be held at the historic Leimert Park Village from noon to 9 p.m. Monday, will have three stages for family-friendly live music and entertainment with headliner Jazmine Sullivan, spoken word, arts and cultural displays. Networking opportunities, Black-owned business vendors and food will be available too.

* El Segundo Recreation Park will host the second Juneteenth Festival presented by Black in Mayberry, a nonprofit whose mission is to combat racism through the arts. From noon to 6 p.m. attendees can live music, arts and crafts, a kids zone, Black-owned business vendors and community contests.

* Cabrillo Beach will be the site of the Juneteenth Fireworks Spectacular presented by Juneteenth 400 and the Port of Los Angeles. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Monday at 3720 Stephen S. White Drive in San Pedro.

* San Pedro’s Korean Bell of Friendship will host the third Juneteenth Celebration and Bell-ringing from 9:30 a.m. to noon when the friendship bell will ring “for liberty and justice for All,� officials said.

* Libraries throughout Los Angeles County will host separate celebrations to commemorate Juneteenth with craft events, book clubs, storytimes and more. Visit www.lacountylibrary.org/celebrate-juneteenth for additional information.

* The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will hold free community events at area parks. Food, resources, tournaments and other activities are planned forSaturday and Sunday. More details are available online at www.parks.lacounty.gov/juneteenth.