BLOOMINGTON– The City of Bloomington will host a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 19 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at Switchyard Park (1601 South Rogers Street). Juneteenth is the annual, national celebration of freedom.
The community-wide, family-friendly gathering will feature free food, games, and music, with Black-owned businesses on-site offering additional products for sale. Activities will take place at the shelter, the great lawn, and the spray pad.
Those attending may bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages, chairs, and picnic blankets (there is limited seating in the park as well). Those attending will be asked to adhere to COVID-19 safety measures; fully vaccinated community members are not required to wear masks.
Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth commemorates the date the last group of those who had been enslaved in the United States were informed of their freedom. Originating in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth is now commemorated annually on the anniversary of the June 19, 1865 announcement by Union Army General Gordon Granger, declaring freedom from slavery in Texas. The news of emancipation arrived in Texas two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which recognized and maintained the freedom of enslaved persons, in 1863.
For additional information, please visit the City of Bloomington Juneteenth Event Page.
