SAN DIEGO - s4story -- KINFOLK FEST RETURNS WITH A FULL WEEK OF JUNETEENTH EVENTS AT WATERFRONT PARK

San Diego's largest Juneteenth celebration — now in its 9th year — expands to a week of music, entrepreneurship, art, and community, June 17-21, 2026

SAN DIEGO, CA — SD Melanin, San Diego's leading community culture and experience producers, announce the return of Kinfolk Fest — the city's largest Juneteenth celebration. For 2026, Kinfolk Fest expands beyond a single day into a full week of programming running June 17-21, culminating in the main festival at Waterfront Park on Saturday, June 20, from 1-9pm.

Now in its 9th year, Kinfolk Fest has become San Diego's anchor Juneteenth event — a gathering that functions as both celebration and community infrastructure. The 2026 main event features a curated lineup of live performers, DJ sets, art installations and more. Alongside the music: 100+ Black-owned vendors, food, a full bar, art activations, a spades tournament, and photo moments.

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"Kinfolk Fest is the Black family reunion San Diego didn't know it needed," said Loren Cobbs, founder of SD Melanin. "Juneteenth is a day of freedom and joy, and we've built a space where the whole community can feel that — together."

New for 2026, the week of events includes a free entrepreneur workshop on June 17; a Juneteenth night R&B event on June 19; the main festival on June 20; and a Black artist exhibition on June 21. Together, the programming reflects SD Melanin's commitment to building spaces where celebration, economic empowerment, and artistic expression converge.

Kinfolk Fest has been covered by Essence, Axios, Yahoo, KPBS, and San Diego Magazine. The event is produced by SD Melanin with support from the City of San Diego, San Diego County, and Black San Diego. Sponsorship opportunities are available at sdmelanin.com/juneteenth-2026.

KINFOLK FEST WEEK OF EVENTS
Wed June 17 | 6-9pm: Kinfolk Connect — Free Entrepreneur Workshop

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Fri June 19 | 9:30pm-2am: Now That's R&B @ Kinfolk — R&B Juneteenth Night
Sat June 20 | 1-9pm: Kinfolk Fest Main Event — Live music, DJs, 100+ vendors & more
Sun June 21 | 4-7pm: ONYX x Kinfolk — A Black Artist Exhibition (RSVP)

MAIN EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
Time: 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Waterfront Park, San Diego, CA
Admission: 21+ · Ticketed (VIP available)

Vendors: 100+ Black-owned businesses
Music: R&B · Hip-hop · Jazz
Activities: Art activations · Spades tournament · Food · Full bar · Photo moments · VIP experience
Website: https://www.sdmelanin.com/juneteenth-2026
Social: @sdmelanin and @kinfolkfestofficial on social