A crowd gathers as Black skateboarders perform tricks on a ramp during a Juneteenth celebration in Los Angeles.
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Patrick T. Fallon
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
There are several events today — and beyond — around Los Angeles to celebrate Juneteenth.
Why it matters: June 19 marks the day federal troops showed up in Galveston, Texas, back in 1865 — two and a half YEARS after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed — to tell enslaved Black people that slavery was over.
The first Juneteenth celebration was held in Texas the following year, and then the celebrations spread. Families who were part of the second great migration, when Black southerners moved north and west after World War Two, brought their Texas holiday to L-A in the late 1940s.
Why now: Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, more celebrations are held throughout the month of June. Here's our list.
Missed your chance to buy a seat to scream “Not Like Us” at the Kendrick Lamar concert at the Kia Forum tonight (although you might be able to snag really expensive resell tickets here)? Upset the large-scale Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival has been postponed to 2025? Well, fear not, there’s still music to be heard and the Leimert Park Village vendors are still holding a Black Family Reunion Juneteenth Celebration in the neighborhood starting today at 11 a.m.
Here are many more events, starting today, for you to righteously celebrate Juneteenth in L.A.:
Events
June 19, 2024, 12 p.m. Jonathan Leonard’s 75th Annual Juneteenth Emancipation Day Leimert Park COST: FREE, MORE INFO
Jonathan Leonard started a Juneteenth celebration in Leimert Park once he moved from Texas to Los Angeles in 1949.
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Ariyana Leonard and AyEsha Leonard McLaughlin
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For decades, Juneteenth was celebrated in Leimert Park with a family picnic that many say was started by Jonathan Leonard, a Texas transplant, back in 1949. He’d serve up barbecue, watermelon and traditional Big Red soda, and revel in community. His family has continued the tradition even after his death in 2017 so come on out to enjoy some good food and good company.
June 19, 2024, 2 p.m. to sunset Ebony Beach Club Juneteenth Community Beach Day Dockweiler State Beach, Tower 51 COST: FREE
The Ebony Beach Club in L.A. County after a year! Surf, barbecue, make friends and more at this beach community gathering on Juneteenth.
June 19, 2024, 8 p.m. Juneteenth Celebration T-Pain + Special Guests The Hollywood Bowl 2301 Highland Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90068 COST: Varies, MORE INFO
Singer and rapper T-Pain is co-curating a Juneteenth celebration at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday, June 19.
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LA Phil/Hollywood Bowl
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Are you sprung on T-Pain? Croon along with the singer/rapper, the Color of Noize Orchestra (orchestrated by Derrick Hodge) and special guests like D Smoke at this special celebration of Black music at the Bowl.
June 19, 2024, 7:30 p.m. Bless Their Little Hearts in 35 mm Ted Mann Theater at The Academy Museum COST: Student tickets: $5, Senior: $7, Adult: $10, MORE INFO
LA Rebellion film director Billy Woodberry's only fiction feature Bless Their Little Hearts (1983) is showing on June 19 at the Academy Museum.
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Academy Museum
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Watch Billy Woodberry’s only fiction feature Bless Their Little Hearts(1983). It’s a moving drama about a married couple in Watts who are struggling to support their family through unemployment. Woodberry was one of the founders of the L.A. Rebellion film movement and this movie was named to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
Wednesday, June 19, 8 a.m. Juneteenth Hike & Breakfast Eaton Canyon Falls Trail Altadena COST: $5 DONATION, MORE INFO
This week's outdoor pick is an easy-to-moderate hike near Pasadena.
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JingKe888, licensed under CC BY 2.0
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Start your Juneteenth holiday off right with a hike in Eaton Canyon Falls with the Black Living Single Group. The nature hike will be followed by a hearty breakfast!
Wednesday June 19, 7 p.m. Juneteenth Trivia Night Highly Likely 4310 West Jefferson Blvd. West Adams COST: $20, MORE INFO
Test your Juneteenth knowledge, plus meet like-minded new friends at this trivia night hosted at Highly Likely in West Adams. There will not only be trivia, but also art and other games throughout the evening.
In partnership with Black in Mayberry, the City of Manhattan Beach will honor African American history with speakers, special guests and a gospel choir. The Juneteenth Ceremony will take place on Wednesday at 10 - 11 a.m. at Bruce’s Beach Park. And live music, food and vendors will follow at the Juneteenth Celebration & Concert from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Polliwog Park on Saturday, June 22.
Juneteenth Ceremony at Bruce's Beach Park on June 19.
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The Juneteenth Celebration & Concert at Manhattan Beach on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
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Through June 23 Freedom: Juneteenth Art Exhibit 910 Abbot Kinney Venice COST: $15, MORE INFO
A collaboration between nonprofit arts group Black in Mayberry and the Experimentally Structured Museum of Art (ESMoA) in Lawndale, the Freedom exhibit brings together a group of 12 Black artists reflecting on the African-American journey, exploring the questions “What is freedom?” and “Are we truly free?"
Saturday, June 21, 2024, 4 p.m. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration & Resource Fair Victoria Community Regional Park 419 MLK Jr. St, Carson CA, 90746 COST: Free, register here
Come out and enjoy this free event that will include community resources, discussions, performances and activities for all ages. There will be tenant protections, immigration rights and mental health support services for attendees.
Fire department honored with 'Award of Excellence'
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California — events, processes and nuances making it a unique place to call home.
Published December 12, 2025 4:30 PM
The "Award of Excellence Star" honoring the Los Angeles Fire Department on Friday.
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Matt Winkelmeyer
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The Hollywood Walk of Fame has a new neighbor — a star dedicated to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Why it matters: The Fire Department has been honored with an “Award of Excellence Star” for its public service during the Palisades and Sunset fires, which burned in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills neighborhoods of L.A. in January.
Why now: The star was unveiled on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday at a ceremony hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Community Foundation.
Awards of Excellence celebrate organizations for their positive impacts on Hollywood and the entertainment industry, according to organizers. Fewer than 10 have been handed out so far, including to the LA Times, Dodgers and Disneyland.
The backstory: The idea of awarding a star to the Fire Department was prompted by an eighth-grade class essay from Eniola Taiwo, 14, from Connecticut. In an essay on personal heroes, Taiwo called for L.A. firefighters to be recognized. She sent the letter to the Chamber of Commerce.
“This star for first responders will reach the hearts of many first responders and let them know that what they do is recognized and appreciated,” Taiwo’s letter read. “It will also encourage young people like me to be a change in the world.”
LAFD Chief Jaime E. Moore, Eniola Taiwo and LAFD firefighters with the "Award of Excellence Star" Friday.
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Matt Winkelmeyer
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Getty Images North America
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The Award of Excellence Star is in front of the Ovation Entertainment Complex next to the Walk of Fame; however, it is separate from the official program.
What officials say: Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement Taiwo’s letter was the inspiration for a monument that will “forever shine in Hollywood.”
“This recognition is not only about honoring the bravery of the Los Angeles Fire Department but also about celebrating the vision of a young student whose words reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and civic pride,” said Nissen, who’s also president and CEO of the Hollywood Community Foundation.
L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto was accused of an ethics breach in a case the city settled for $18 million.
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Carlin Stiehl
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
Topline:
Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
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Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published December 12, 2025 3:38 PM
Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his Santa Ana home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe.
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Destiny Torres
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LAist
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Today marks el Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgen of Guadalupe, an important holiday for Catholics and those of Mexican descent. In Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana builds an elaborate altar in her honor that draws hundreds of visitors.
What is the holiday celebrating? In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman, wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak. Every year on Dec. 12, worshippers of the saint celebrate the Guadalupita with prayer and song.
Read on … for how worshippers in Santa Ana celebrate.
Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.
Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.
Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.
Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.
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Destiny Torres
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Why do they celebrate?
In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.
To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.
Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.
The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).
“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”
The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.
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Destiny Torres
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LAist
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Gathering in a time of turmoil
Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.
“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”
Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.
“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.
Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the VirginMary represents strength.
“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”
See it for yourself
The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.
The offices of the Employment Development Department in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2022.
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Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
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CalMatters
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California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices. That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
The investigation: The Employment Development Department acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all. The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
Department response: Officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used. The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices.
That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
It acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all.
The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months, and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
From the beginning, the department had about 2,000 more cellphones than call center employees, according to the audit. The gap widened over time after the pandemic ended and the department’s staffing returned to its normal headcount.
As of April, the audit said the department had 1,787 unemployment call center employees, but was paying monthly service fees for 5,097 mobile devices.
“Although obtaining the mobile devices during COVID-19 may have been a good idea to serve the public, continuing to pay the monthly service fees for so many unused devices, especially post-COVID-19, was wasteful,” the audit said.
Department officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used.
“We would have expected EDD management to have reconsidered the need to pay the monthly service fees for so many devices that had no voice, message, or data usage,” the audit said.
The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
The California state auditor highlighted the mobile devices in its regular report on “improper activities by state agencies and employees.” The audit also showed that the California Air Resources Board overpaid an employee who was on extended leave as he prepared to retire by $171,000.
