Rio Rancho and Sandoval County families have plenty of reasons to leave the air conditioning behind this weekend, starting with the city’s official Juneteenth Celebration Saturday at Haynes Park.
The City of Rio Rancho hosts the free event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park, 2006 Grande Blvd. SE, with a lineup that swings from gospel to Caribbean rhythm: singer Dianne Bethany takes the stage alongside a Caribbean band, the Omenka Dancers, a storyteller and an “Unsung Heroes” theatrical skit. Food trucks and craft vendors will ring the park, and the adjacent Haynes Swimming Pool stays open for anyone looking to cool off between sets.
City Councilor Karissa Culbreath said the celebration typically draws hundreds of people from across the community looking for a reason to gather. “(Juneteenth) celebrates emancipation of enslaved Americans, the end of the war, the end of loss of life and the fulfilment of the expectations and ideals for the unity of our nation,” Culbreath said…