The sun came out for the Black Joy Parade.
After days of gloomy weather, downtown Oakland was awash in warmth and sunlight on Sunday afternoon as thousands of people came together to celebrate Black people and Black culture. Now in its ninth year, the Black Joy Parade is one of the city’s cherished annual traditions, whose theme this year was “Black Is the Blueprint,” highlighting the impact and influence of Black culture.
Music, muscle cars, motorcycles, and marching bands provided the soundtrack to the day, while vendors selling pro-Black art, clothing, books and jewelry lined the streets. Food and drink stalls kept people fed as artists performed on two stages bookending the festival.
The evening closed with headliner Mýa, a Grammy-award winning singer and dancer who serenaded the crowd with her hits from the 1990s and 2000s.
Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity march and dance along Broadway during Oakland’s ninth Black Joy Parade on Feb. 22, 2026. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
The Cal Band from UC Berkeley marches past Oakland City Hall during the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Brenda (in the red sweatshirt) holds Cameron and Evelyn holds Violet while they enjoy the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Young rapper 2TurntPolo sits atop the Hyphy Burger bus in the Black Joy Parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Iyauna Austin rides a horse named Tallulah in the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Horse riders trot past Hotboys on 16th Street. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Performers with the Prescott Circus Theatre warm up before the parade begins. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Four-year-old Sage and her father Christian Ford watch the Black Joy Parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
TheAuthur Wright sells his visual art at a booth at the Black Joy Parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Greg from Pop a Byt Donuts holds up a pan of his creations at the parade’s food court. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Performers dressed as the Grass Bunnies from the Bad Bunny Super Bowl half-time show joined the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Brian Forbes, who makes custom hats, stand beside his green 1972 Ford Ranch Wagon before the start of the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Jordan Roots and his two sons at the sidelines of the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
Black Joy Parade organizers pop confetti and celebrate before the start of the parade. Credit: Richard H. Grant for The Oaklandside
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Ashley McBride writes about education equity for The Oaklandside. Her work covers Oakland’s public district and charter schools. Before joining The Oaklandside in 2020, Ashley was a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle as a Hearst Journalism Fellow. In 2024, Ashley received the California School Board Association’s Golden Quill Award, which recognizes fair, accurate, and insightful reporting on public schools. Ashley earned her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and holds a certificate in education finance from Georgetown University.