Juneteenth | Central Valley Baseball | Sierra Storytelling Festival
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or
Flash plugin.
An attendee wears an A's baseball cap at the Las Vegas Ballpark for a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Athletics, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Las Vegas.
AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is this week a day that marks the end of slavery. Former President Joe Biden made it a federal holiday back in 2021 but that doesn’t mean everyone gets the day off. California recognizes June 19th as an official state holiday but state workers must still use their paid time off to observe the holiday. The same was true for the city of Sacramento until yesterday, when the city announced that Friday will be a paid day off for city workers, a first for Sacramento. Michael Harris is the Chair of the California State Capitol Juneteenth Holiday Celebration happening on the West Steps of the state Capitol on Friday, June 19. Gary Simon is the Executive Director and Founder of Sacramento Juneteenth which is putting on its annual festival at William Land Park on Friday and Saturday, June 19th and 20th. They joined Vicki to talk about the significance of Juneteenth being designated a government holiday.
Central Valley Baseball
Baseball season is in full swing across Northern California. The Athletics recently wrapped up their first series at their future home in Las Vegas, with their new stadium under construction. At the same time a couple independent-league teams are finding their footing in the Central Valley and Oakland, and concerns over ongoing negotiations between MLB and the players’ union is creating uncertainty over whether games will be played next year. Jen Ramos-Eisen is a freelance baseball labor and economics reporter, and runs the Left On Base newsletter. They join Insight for a baseball roundup across the region.
Sierra Storytelling Festival
Stories have a way of connecting us, transporting us and giving us a window into worlds we might not otherwise see. If you’re looking for an opportunity to take in a few good stories under the starry skies of the Sierra, the 39th annual Sierra Storytelling Festival is the place you’ll want to be. Today on Insight, we’ll learn more about the event from Samantha Hinrichs, President of the Board of Directors of the North Columbia Schoolhouse, and Michael D. McCarty, one of this year’s featured storytellers.
