Community support and volunteers came forth to resurrect El DÃa de San Juan celebration after it was canceled two months ago by the organizing committee.
The 20th annual celebration on the feast day of St. John the Baptist will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. June 24, according to a post on the event’s Facebook page.
The tradition, which marks the start of the annual monsoon season and has been celebrated in the Old Pueblo for over a century, will be held west of Interstate 10 on West Congress Street and South Avenida del Convento, behind Mercado San AgustÃn, states the post.
Organizers, who had been dealing with financial constraints and a lack of volunteers, worked with the offices of Vice Mayor Regina Romero and county Supervisor Richard ElÃas to facilitate the celebration, which is free and open to the public.
A procession will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Mission Garden with the carrying of an antique statue of St. John the Baptist, and prayers will be offered during the celebration.
Festivities will include music from the Lopez Family Band, Mariachi Bellas Musicales and folklorico and hip-hop dancers.
The fiesta will feature food vendors and arts and crafts vendors. There will be games and activities for children, and free bottled water. No alcohol will be sold, and it is not allowed at the celebration, organizers said.
The event is accessible by Sun Link streetcar at the Mercado San AgustÃn stop, and free parking is available in a dirt lot near the mercado.
Only service dogs are allowed.
