This year’s Newberry Juneteenth event will take place on Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Courtesy of the City of Newberry
NEWBERRY – All are welcome to learn the history, share the stories, taste the food, hear the music and see the talent of the community at this year’s Newberry Juneteenth event. The event will take place on Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
According to History.com, Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
The city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism department has been working with a committee of eight local citizens to assist in coming up with a vision for this year’s event.
Committee members include Jackie Holmes, Carlton Kinard, Barbara Chapman, Margo Whitener, Michael Raiford, Tomekia Means, Denise Graham and Linda Hair.
This year’s event will once again have a dedicated space to explain what Juneteenth is. There will be a Juneteenth history and artifacts exhibit again this year in the Newberry Opera House lobby, open to the public throughout the event. The exhibit features a timeline-oriented booklet discussing events in Black history that led to the events of Juneteenth Freedom Day in 1865 and beyond, a large-scale canvas mural, videos celebrating the holiday and artifacts highlighting Newberry’s Black history.
First Steps Newberry County has once again updated their downtown StoryWalk program to feature two storybooks downtown for the community to enjoy. The first, called “Juneteenth for Mazie” by Floyd Cooper will be featured downtown.
The second book, “It’s OK to be Different” by Sharon Purtill can be found in the StoryWalk in Israel Brooks Park.
While the day’s events are spread around downtown Newberry, Bridget Carey, tourism and events manager, said they will be centered in Memorial Park around the main stage. The event officially begins at 10 a.m. However, those interested in showing their support are invited to participate in a march at 9:30 a.m. beginning at Bethlehem Baptist Church and ending at the event stage in Memorial Park.
At 10 a.m., the opening ceremony will include a singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” This hymn is commonly referred to as “The Black National Anthem,” and was originally written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900.
The stage will then open for Zumba until 10:45 a.m., followed by a DJ and music until noon. The stage will then transition into the event’s talent showcase.
The showcase is not a competition, but a way for locals to share their talents, Carey said and includes a little bit of everything from spoken word to musical performances.
From 1-3 p.m., the stage will feature the Cash Money Experience, followed by gospel music from 3-4 p.m.
Surrounding Memorial Park and Community Hall downtown will be the event’s food court. Foods featured will vary from barbecue to Caribbean to soul food to fair food.
Business vendors will be placed along downtown’s Main Street. Businesses include handmade jewelry, clothiers, wreaths, crocheted items, custom items and more.
Children’s activities will include inflatables and arts and crafts hosted by the Newberry Arts Center located at 1200 Main Street.
The very last feature includes a car show from 1-3 p.m. in the Coca-Cola mural parking lot, located on the corner of Harrington and McKibben Streets. The car show is open to anyone wishing to participate; however, spots in the show are on a first come, first served basis. Carey said there was enough space for around 15 cars.
Main Street will be closed to traffic beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 17. The event area includes Main Street from Lindsay to Nance Streets.
Parking for the Juneteenth event is free and on a first come, first served basis. A map of public parking areas can be found on the city’s website, www.cityofnewberry.com. For any questions, please contact the City of Newberry’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Office at 803-321-1015 prior to the event.
A map of the event space and more detailed event information can be found online at www.newberryjuneteenth.com.
Elyssa Haven is the Public Relations Coordinator at the City of Newberry.