The 52nd annual Black Cowboy parade kicked off at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Saturday. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. Back in the era of the great Western cattle drives,
The 52nd annual Black Cowboy parade kicked off at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Saturday.
The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources.
Back in the era of the great Western cattle drives, around the 1860s-1880s, it’s estimated that a full quarter of the cowboys were Black. That legacy of Black droving lives on in the Bay Area with the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, which each year stages a lively parade with colorful attire and dancing horses.
“Founded in 1976, the Oakland Black Cowboy Association was created to bring the hidden stories of Black cowboys and cowgirls into the spotlight,” the association writes. “These pioneers were more than riders; they were heroes of the frontier. Today, we continue their legacy by celebrating their contributions and sharing their stories with the world.
Bryant Jackson Jr., 6, of Oakland, stands still atop his horse while his father puts on the bridle before participating in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Participants greet one another during the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Students from the Oakland Military Institute return to DeFremery Park after participating in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Festivalgoers check out a vendor’s booth during the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Women horseback ride while participating in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Festivalgoers buy cowboy hats from a vendor’s booth during the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Pete Taylor prepares to ride his horse Bueno before participating in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Spectators watch participants in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Reginna Dancing Angels of Antioch participate in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Oakland firefighters participate in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Prescott Circus Theatre members participate in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Festivalgoers stroll around the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Cowboys participate in the Oakland Black Cowboy Association’s 52nd Annual Parade and Festival at DeFremery Park in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The event brought the community together under the theme “Preserving Our Heritage, Inspiring Our Future,” featuring live entertainment, line dancing, youth activities, pony rides, food, local vendors and community resources. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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