SFMTA staff and their families taking part in last year’s Juneteenth Parade.
Juneteenth is right around the corner, and we hope you will join us for the official Juneteenth Parade on Sunday, June 22. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. It also celebrates African American culture.
SFMTA staff and their families are proud to be part of this year's parade. We will join the parade on one of our motorized cable cars and pass out Juneteenth-themed bracelets while supplies last.
Parade details:
- When: Sunday, June 22 starting at 11 a.m.
- Where: Route starts at Market and Spear streets, moves west to 8th and Market
Learn about highlights of the parade, tips to help you plan your trip and the history of Juneteenth.
Parade highlights
The Juneteenth Parade features:
- Live music
- Street performers
- Block parties
- Car shows
- Kids’ zone
- Floats and visuals
For details on the block party locations and other parade information, you can check out this Juneteenth Parade event page.
We’re here to help you get to the parade – see our tips for different types of travel.
Travel tips to help you celebrate
By train:
The best way to get to the Juneteenth Parade is by Muni Metro. If you’re marching in the parade, you can exit at Embarcadero Station to be right near the formation area. If you’re planning to watch the parade, you can exit at Civic Center, Powell or Montgomery to grab a spot along the route.
By bus:
Several Muni lines and routes will not be able to serve Market Street during the parade. Many routes that run on Market Street will be rerouted to Mission Street. Buses taking these reroutes will stop at regular stops for the 14 Mission Route between 11th and 1st streets.
For details about specific routes, see our Juneteenth Parade travel updates webpage.
By car:
There will be several street closures near the parade route. For locations and timeframes, see the Street Closures section of our Juneteenth travel update page.
History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth refers to June 19. On that date in 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas. They told the slaves there that they were free.
This news came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It took that long for the abolition of slavery to make it to Texas.
Still, freedom wasn’t immediate for everyone. Slavery wasn’t officially abolished in the United States until December 1865. That’s when the 13th Amendment passed.
For more on the history of Juneteenth, both nationally and in San Francisco, see our blog, San Francisco and the SFMTA Celebrate Juneteenth.
For help getting to the parade, see our Juneteenth Parade travel updates webpage. We hope to see you there!