GREENVILLE, Miss. — Community members in Greenville will gather June 19-20 for a two-day Juneteenth celebration featuring a flag-raising ceremony, pageant, parade, historical tour and community festival.
The event is being presented by the Local Organizing Committee in collaboration with the Revitalizing Historical Nelson Business District Committee and the City of Greenville. The Local Organizing Committee describes its mission as bringing together organizations, churches, businesses and community leaders to improve and strengthen the community through education, empowerment and outreach.
The celebration begins Friday, June 19, with a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at 10 a.m. at Greenville City Hall, located at 340 Main St. Organizers say the ceremony will commemorate the significance of Juneteenth and honor the history of freedom and emancipation.
Later that evening, the Miss Juneteenth Pageant will take place at 7 p.m. at Cee Bees, located at 138 S. Walnut St.
Activities continue Saturday, June 20, with a Juneteenth Parade beginning at 10 a.m. The parade route will travel from Railroad Avenue down Historic Nelson Street to Poplar Street.
At noon, participants will have an opportunity to learn more about Greenville’s history through the Historical Nelson Bus Tour.
The celebration will conclude with the Juneteenth Festival from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Harriet Blanton Theobald Park, located at the corner of Historic Nelson and Poplar streets. The festival will feature community fellowship and cultural celebration.
Vendors are also being invited to participate in the event. The vendor fee is $25, and setup will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Today, the holiday is recognized nationally as a celebration of freedom, culture and the contributions of African Americans throughout history.
