The Celebrate Antioch Foundation is hosting two events next weekend, including a “Let Freedom Ring Juneteenth” celebration June 17-19 and a Father’s Day car show June 18.
The Juneteenth event will run from noon to 6 p.m. at the Contra Costa Event Park, 1201 W. 10th St. It will include carnival rides, arts and crafts, food, community resources, a job fair and live entertainment.
The Father’s Day event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with awards at 2 p.m. at Second and G streets. Music, street vendors, food, beer and wine will be available. All cars must check in between 9 and 10 a.m. at the Willow Park Mercantile, 205 G St. Entry fee is $25.
Participants can apply at form.jotform.com/23045136331142. For more information, visit celebrateantioch.org.
— Celebrate Antioch Foundation
Making Moves and the city of Antioch invite everyone to Williamson Ranch Park for “Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration” from 12 to 5 p.m. June 18. This event will include live entertainment, food, games and more.
Come and join them in celebrating the day of freedom for African-Americans. The Antioch park is at the corner of Lone Tree Way and Hillcrest Avenue.
— city of Antioch
Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch will host a Juneteenth celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 17, featuring rhythm and blues and 1980s live music, vendors and a kids zone.
The church is at 3415 Oakley Road. For more details, visit gbfofantioch.org or gracearmsofantioch.or/juneteenth online.
— Judith Prieve, staff
The East Bay Regional Park District is celebrating Juneteenth with a Free Park Day on June 18 in recognition of the date when enslaved Black Americans in Texas were notified of their freedom, albeit 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Please note that while Juneteenth is on June 19, the district’s Free Park Day is on June 18 to serve more visitors.
The park district is also celebrating Juneteenth with several naturalist-led programs, including nature walks June 19 at 8 a.m. in Oakley at Big Break Regional Shoreline and at 10 a.m. in Concord at Thurgood Marshall Regional Park — Home of the Port Chicago 50. For more information, visit ebparks.org/Juneteenth.
— EBRPD
The annual all-community summer festival, Made in the Shade, will return to Walnut Creek from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 25 on the campus of the Shadelands SportsMall, 2640 Shadelands Drive in Walnut Creek.
Free and family-friendly, Made in the Shade will feature live music, food trucks, craft beer, exhibitor booths, demonstrations, giveaways and free and premium sports activities for the young and older, including rock climbing, volleyball, soccer, basketball, yoga, taekwondo, gymnastics and batting cages.
Local taproom and fan favorite Calicraft Brewing Co. will bring its best microbrews and spritzers to the table, and branded Made in the Shade sunglasses will go to the first 1,000 festival attendees.
For more information, visit shadelandssportsmall.com/madeintheshade online. Made in the Shade is sponsored by the Shadelands Steering Committee (shadelands.org).
— Linda Rimac Colberg
The community is invited to come June 18 to City Hall for an afternoon of fun as Pleasant Hill celebrates Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the day that the last remaining enslaved Black people in the United States were freed on June 19, 1865.
The event will be held by the City Hall lake at 100 Gregory Lane and will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will feature an art display; music by the West African Highlife Band; a performance for the kids by Unique Derique; a visit from Princess Tiana of “The Princess and the Frog;” and the Sweet Mother Food Truck and the Guzzler Bar Truck.
It will be a day of celebration, and the community is invited to come and participate as the city’s Diversity Commission and the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library host a fun afternoon of music, food, art, performances and family fun.
— city of Pleasant Hill
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1525 Auxiliary invites everyone to Christmas in July from 1 to 4 p.m. July 8. at the Concord Veterans Memorial Building, 2290 Willow Pass Road in Concord. This fundraiser will benefit the art and therapy programs for veterans at the Concord Vet Center.
Under the guidance of experienced crafters, attendees will “Make and Take” up to six hand-crafted holiday ornaments. All supplies will be provided. A sleigh full of holiday desserts and festive beverages will be included. Regular donations are $40 per person or $70 for two people who reserve together.
RSVP and payment due by June 25. Checks may be made payable to “VFW Post 1525 Auxiliary” and mailed to VFW Post 1525 Auxiliary, P.O. Box 79, Clayton, CA 94517. Include the names of attendees and a phone number or email. Questions can be directed to lorettamasnada@comcast.net.
— VFW Post 1525 Auxiliary
The city of Concord and Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce have relaunched the popular Shop Concord program to support the city’s small businesses by encouraging residents to shop locally now and into the summer. The Shop Concord program helps increase sales for local businesses while also benefiting consumers and providing a boost to the local economy.
Shop Concord is relaunching thanks to a $10,000 contribution from the city of Concord to supply a bonus gift card with every purchase. While supplies last, receive a free $50 Shop Concord bonus card with every original $100 gift card purchase, a free $25 Shop Concord card with every $50 gift card purchase or a free $10 Shop Concord card with every $20 gift card purchase.
Gift cards can be used for purchases at any participating business. The bonus gift cards with purchase are available until the allotted $10,000 is distributed.
“It’s great we are able to relaunch the Shop Concord program,” said Mayor Laura Hoffmeister. “Our previous holiday relaunches have helped build momentum for the program and help us achieve our objective of supporting the local economy.”
The initial Shop Concord program launched in November 2020, with 978 e-gift cards purchased for a total of $31,020 in value. Local businesses saw the momentum and reaped the benefits. Now, with six programs launched in the past three years to show continued support for the local economy, the total amount of gift cards distributed is valued at more than $188,000.
The e-gift cards can be bought on the Shop Concord Yiftee page (app.yiftee.com/gift-card/concord), which includes a list of participating merchants. The cards purchased can be redeemed at any participating Concord business. The digital nature of the gift cards lets customers split the original and bonus portions to keep for themselves or gift to others via text or email.
Concord local business owners can sign up anytime for free to participate in the program. Instructions for how to become a participating merchant are online at concordfirst.com/shop-concord.
— city of Concord
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