Fresno's first ever Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony held at City Hall

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Fresno and other public agencies continued their celebration of Juneteenth on Monday.

The multi-day event came to a close in the evening at the Cultural Arts District Park in downtown Fresno.

On Monday afternoon, city leaders, the Juneteenth committee, and the community came together for the first-ever Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony.

Another red, white and blue flag joined Old Glory flying over Fresno City Hall. The star in the middle of the flag is a symbolic representation of the end of slavery in the U.S.

In the spirit of unity, city leaders alongside the Juneteenth committee came together to raise it up.

Organizer Janice Sumler said, "I never would have thought we would have had this day and it's just a blessing. It's truly an honor and a blessing."

The five-day festival kicked off on Thursday at the African American Historical and Cultural Museum.

Saturday started with a parade in downtown followed by the Jubilee Celebration at the Fresno Convention Center's Valdez Hall.

RELATED: Juneteenth celebrations held across Central Valley

There was live entertainment that lit up the stage, plus, a special kids zone for children to learn about Juneteenth.

Juneteenth historian Kehinde Solwazi said, "This history is everything for our children and for our future... That's our future and I know our future is strong, I really believe that."

Sumler said more than 5,000 people came out this weekend, visiting from Sacramento, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area.

The food lines were long and there were more than 80 vendors on site.

"People came out to patronize and be a part of Fresno, putting the black dollars black in our community, and that's what they did," Sumler said.

Also on Monday morning, hundreds laced up for the Juneteenth Freedom Run at Woodward Park.

While the multi-day event is coming to a close, Fresno Career Development Institute executive director Keshia Thomas said she hopes to keep the energy and support alive for years to come.

"We have come a long ways and we have a mighty long ways to go...because we still have work to do in this community and we still have lots of work to do as African Americans."

Juneteenth festivities have officially concluded in Fresno County.

ABC30 is a proud sponsor of the events in honor of the holiday.