Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will commemorate Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19, with a special lighting program on the Pacific Wheel. The nine-story Ferris wheel will showcase vibrant red, white, and blue patterns inspired by the official Juneteenth flag, along with dynamic red, black, and green animations representing the Pan-African flag. The colorful display joins a regional tribute by landmarks across Southern California in recognition of Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday with the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel featuring 174,000 LED lights that are mounted on the Ferris wheel’s 40 spokes and two hubs. The Ferris wheel’s lighting system features 16.7 million color value combinations to display dynamic, custom, computer-generated lighting entertainment. The eco-friendly, enhanced LED lighting provides 81 percent greater energy savings than most Ferris wheel’s traditional incandescent bulbs.
The Ferris wheel soars nine stories high and lifts riders more than 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean to offer extraordinary views of the Southern California coastline from its location on the internationally popular Santa Monica Pier.
