Music, laughs and conversation filled the air at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell at the third annual Juneteenth Block Party Wednesday afternoon.

Organized by Do It For The Culture Hawaii, a nonprofit organization committed to reducing microaggressions and creating a more inclusive society, the event consisted of live music, performances and brought over 40 vendors and food trucks.

“Juneteenth serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and cultural exchange. It is a time to reflect on the struggles and trials of the past, while also looking towards a future where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect,” Chanei Cleveland of Do It For The Culture Hawaii said in the event’s welcome speech. “By coming together in solidarity and unity, we can continue to break down barriers and build a more equitable and just society for all.”

The annual event, which began in 2022, has grown in size each year it’s been held — originally held at The Warehouse on Auiki Street and at Bishop Museum last year.

“It’s grown every year. Before, we were in a little warehouse that was super hot. There was not even a window, but now we’re at the Shell,” said Nikki Aviles, who operates NIX Art and has participated as a vendor each year.

“This is definitely a big event, and a big venue at that, so it’s really nice to be able to come here and be a witness of being a part of it since its early stages,” said Anastasia Benefield of Savage Fitness, which has led a line dancing demo at the event every year.

The event drew thousands of attendees — both residents and visitors, and first-timers and veterans.

“This is very important to us, being African American in this country and celebrating our independence and our freedom, and representation that all of our ancestors’ sacrifices let us even be here and be freely walking amongst, when and wherever we want to be,” said Monte Foreman-Powell, who visited the event with his husband Mario and their daughter.

For Deborah Webb of Dallas, Wednesday’s event meant a lot to her, as she missed another Juneteenth event back in Dallas for her visit to Hawaii. She had been working with her chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to clean up a former slave burial site, but she had to miss the unveiling event due to her trip.

“Juneteenth has a phenomenal, deep-rooted meaning to us,” Webb said. “Being able to celebrate it, being here (in Hawaii), means a whole lot to me.”

Briana Villa, who runs Liisa Maartinez , sold her art, including her Juneteenth collection of greeting cards, graphic T-shirts and more, at the event. A recent graduate from the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, she said that her collection was inspired by a speaker she heard at school.

“One of the things they said was ‘You are your ancestors’ wildest dreams,’ and that’s really what inspired me to do a Juneteenth collection. It gave me goosebumps,” said Villa, who was a vendor at the event for the first time Wednesday. “I’m half African American, so I’m thinking back to what my ancestors had to go through for me to get where I am.”

Sharing pieces of one’s culture was also the reason behind Savage Fitness’s line-dancing demo at the event.

“Dance is a part of our culture. We dance to get through hard times, we dance when we’re excited, to get through beautiful times,” Ebony McFadden of Savage Fitness said. “We haven’t missed a Juneteenth yet, so we’re always showing love to the culture. We are the culture.”

Cleveland, the event organizer, said that the event is a means of celebrating everyone’s unique traditions and customs.

“Both the Hawaiian and the African American cultures share the same trauma and the same negative impact of colonization,” Cleveland told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “This is our way to bring together the culture so we can have inclusion, learn about each other and how we’re basically just all the same, sharing the spirit.”

“There’s that shared experience of ‘We know what it feels like to be a minority community,’” Foreman- Powell said. “To be able to see something like this in a place where, again, the people who are native to this land can also relate to what it feels like to have parts of their culture washed away or not being recognized, seeing this here is very big, not just in a Juneteenth aspect, but a minority aspect of being able to celebrate such a cultural thing.”

For Aviles, finding a safe space to celebrate all of the aspects of her culture and identity kept her coming back to the event.

“I’m from here, but I’m also Black too, so it’s hard. It’s good to be able to celebrate both sides, like the Hawaiian side and then to have a place for Black people too because here, there’s not a lot of community for us,” Aviles said. “It’s good to connect with people like us, and we can have a place to come together.”

In the future, McFadden said she hopes the event will continue to grow and invite even more people to celebrate Juneteenth.

“We’re just letting everyone know that all cultures are welcome,” McFadden said. “This is a team event, but it’s all love here, so come learn about the culture, come be a part of it and show love and support.”