Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the kickoff of Buffalo’s 34th
Annual Juneteenth Festival, to be held in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park this
upcoming Saturday and Sunday.
“The Juneteenth Festival is a great summer activity that I
encourage all of our city residents to come out and enjoy,” said Mayor Brown.
“Because of such strong community support and participation, our local festival
has grown to become one of the largest in the nation. This is a great
opportunity for our residents to celebrate African American culture and
commemorate the struggles of past generations.”
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the
ending of slavery in the United States. The Juneteenth Festival of
Buffalo, established in 1976, has served to actively preserve and promote the
broad spectrum of African American heritage through educational and cultural
activities that will benefit the community as a whole.
“This is our 34th consecutive Juneteenth Festival,”
said Marcus Brown, Juneteenth of Buffalo, Inc. president. “We would like
to encourage residents and visitors to enjoy the many festivities that have
been planned throughout the weekend. This is a community event and we
would love for the entire community to support our efforts. In addition
to commemorating the end of slavery, this year’s festival will also pay tribute
to our elders and fallen soldiers who have fought for civil rights in our
community.”
As part of the weekend festivities, a Juneteenth Festival Parade
will be held on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The parade will begin at
the Juneteenth of Buffalo headquarters, located at the corner of Genesee and
Moselle Streets, and proceed to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where two days
full of activities have been scheduled.
Arlee
Daniels of the Stop the Violence Coalition added, “Mayor Brown, the City of
Buffalo, the Juneteenth Committee and Stop the Violence Coalition have joined
together to ensure this year’s Juneteenth Festival will be a fun and safe
experience for all those in attendance.”