High security at Oakland Lakefest following June 19 mass shooting at Lake Merritt

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — A summer festival on Oakland's Lake Merritt took place Saturday, just days after gun violence rocked the end of Oakland's Juneteenth celebration on the lake. Lakefest organizers say they are determined to prevent violence from ruining their event.

“Lakefest is a family picnic,” Trevel Adanandus said. Adanandus was ready to welcome the public to Lakefest, the event he founded on Lake Merritt.

This year, participants lined up outside for a security check. The festival was surrounded by blocks of fences. Adanandus said it was all about safety.

“We secured the entire park, checking bags to make sure no one had weapons,” Adanandus said.

Gun violence rocked a Juneteenth celebration near Lake Merritt on Wednesday evening. Oakland police say 15 people were injured in the shooting. It was one of the largest shootings in the city's history.

RELATED: 15 shots fired after 'sideshow' invades peaceful Juneteenth celebration in Oakland, police say

“A lot of my older friends — I'm 74 — have said to me, 'I don't know, Sandra, if it's going to be safe,'” Sandra Black said.

Black said she wasn't seeing big crowds at Lakefest like last year, but assured her friends the festival was safe after the shooting.

“It's great, sure, there's a lot of police around. We can't let these idiots stop us from living a good life,” Black said.

OPD provided a large police presence of 30 to 50 officers at Lakefest – both inside and outside the event, with numerous street closures.

MORE: Is overall crime in Oakland down? Here's a look at the data

“So naturally there are some concerns. There's nothing you can do about it,” Jade Le said.

Jade Le, owner of Lemonade 510, was a little hesitant about being a vendor at Lakefest, but appreciates the safety measures around the event.

“This happened unfortunately. There is violence in America. There is violence in Oakland. We are going to move forward and have a safe environment,” Le said.

The great Serge Oseguera has been preparing delicious grills at Lakefest for years.

MORE: Organizers hope this Oakland concert will draw more people to Lake Merritt

“This is our third. I've never seen a fight, no one is arguing. Everyone is here to have a good time,” Oseguera said.

Adanandus hoped 15,000 people would show up to Lakefest for a safe and relaxing day.

“There aren't a lot of things to do in Oakland where we come together as one culture and have fun. We hope we can continue to do that,” Adanandus said.