For the sixth year, the Black Joy Parade returns to Oakland on Sunday with two stages, thousands of revelers—and yes, a proper parade, too. The culmination of Black History Month in the East Bay, it’s also a day of strength and uplift for a community still reeling from the death of Tyre Nichols and other victims of state-sanctioned violence, but which never ceases to exude positivity, drive and togetherness.
Held in the city that’s also the birthplace of the sitting vice president of the United States, the Black Joy Parade grew out of the dark mood in the earliest days of the Trump administration, and it caps off a full weekend of events, from a Queer Cinema Pop-Up on Friday evening to an event centered on Black winemakers on Saturday. As for the parade itself, it begins Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of Franklin and 14th streets in Downtown Oakland, lasting for 90 minutes and giving way to a celebration that extends until 7 p.m.
Sunday’s weather may be inclement, but if you’ve ever seen how committed a Bay Area outdoor festival can be in the face of a little rain, you know that only means people will go twice as hard.
This year’s talent is legit, too. The headliner on the Black Joy Parade Stage is none other than Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, while on the Diaspora Stage it’s Oakland’s own Guapdad 4000.
Black Joy Parade
📍 14th Street at Franklin, Oakland
🗓️ Sunday, Feb. 26 | Parade begins at 12:30 p.m., celebration goes until 7 p.m.
🎟️ Free
🔗 blackjoyparade.com