The City of Palm Springs will celebrate the Juneteenth holiday one day early with
a special family-friendly celebration on Saturday, June 18 from noon to 6 p.m.

The event features free camel rides, food and music and will be held at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tramview Road. Local community leaders will be on hand with educational materials about the significance of Juneteeth, which is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

For more information about this year’s event, contact organizer Brian Jackson at
Desert Highland Unity Center at (760) 323-8271.