It’s taken a long time, but the Juneteenth holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States is finally showing substantial growth in Vallejo. Also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day, the Vallejo celebration now features an annual parade (the second) along with the 34th annual festival, including 80 vendors, eight food trucks, 30 merchandise vendors, four bands playing music and thousands of attendees. So when the Juneteenth Committee’s Vice President Loretta Gaddies is asked when she’d finally be able to sit down and have a sigh of relief she doesn’t hesitate with her answer.
“When it’s over,” Gaddies, said with a laugh. All kidding aside, Gaddies is proud of what the Juneteenth holiday has become in Vallejo, and hopes the parade can eventually become as big as the city’s Fourth of July parade. “The parade is great because it allows us for all our organizations to walk with pride and the community can show what they do,” Gaddies said.
“We get to see who is in Vallejo and what they’re doing in Vallejo.” Soaring Eagles Leadership Academy — which features kids as young as 3 to full-grown adults — stopped in the middle of Virginia Street near Provisions and the Empress Theatre during the parade to give a martial arts demonstration, with a few kids along with Jones breaking pieces of wood in half. “I love that Juneteenth is now a national federal holiday so I can get my family to come out and participate with us,” .