Santa Barbara gears up for Juneteenth celebration on Sunday

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Juneteenth – a federal holiday celebrating the freedom of enslaved African Americans in the United States – falls on Sunday, and local Juneteenth organizers are throwing an annual block party to celebrate the historic day.

The theme of this year's event is "Caring for the People," and local Black artists, performers, and organizations will be honored during the block party, which takes place at Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio from noon until 5 p.m.

"As community organizers, we (were) feeling like we need to have some joy," said Santa Barbara Juneteenth co-founder Jordan Killebrew. "So we started our first Juneteenth and over the years it's grown and grown until now what we dreamed of as a block party right here in the Funk Zone."

Santa Barbara's Black joy and culture will be highlighted at the event, and there will be free food, singing, and dancing for visitors to enjoy.