Security teams monitored barricades well in advance of the Juneteenth celebrations around Lake Merritt. 

Lisha Bell wanted a safe option to kick off the holiday at the Oakland Museum, for live music, dancing and community. 

"It's a good reminder of life and love and the pursuit that we all should have of freedom," Bell said.

"Oakland gets negative attention, we get the negative news, but this is what Oakland is about. We're about community. We're about culture. Everyone is safe here, and so it's an amazing day here in Oakland," said Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins. 

Lines wrapped around the museum to get in for the sold-out Hella Juneteenth event. 

Museum officials said it sold some 3,500 tickets. 

It's the second year they're hosting this event.

"There was a time when black folks were not allowed to celebrate the fact that we were free," said Autumn King of the Oakland Museum. 

With it now becoming a federal holiday, with more and more people understanding the history of it, it's out, it's loud, it's proud, it's joyful in a big, celebratory way. I love that we are part of that here at Oakland Museum," King said. 

"We as a community want the experiment of democracy in the US, in this country of a melting pot of everything around the world, living together, being in harmony, voting, and every county, knowing we're all free," Chadwick Bell said. 

Attendees said it's a family-friendly event that has become a popular way to kick off Juneteenth in Oakland. 

"Juneteenth is about remembering the worth of African Americans in this country, remembering that we were not free when others were free, remembering our contributions and honoring that," Bell said.   

• Juneteenth
• Oakland