In 1988, Cincinnati’s Juneteenth tradition began as a neighborhood festival in Kennedy Heights, celebrating Emancipation Day and drawing close to 1,500 people to Daniel Drake Park for picnicking, games and historical reenactments. Twenty-seven years later, the annual ritual featuring Abe Lincoln, a variety of live entertainment and plenty of arts and craft vendors has grown increasingly anticipated, with an expected 20,000 fest-goers gathering for the same reason they always have — to celebrate one of the most important events in American history.
Noon-9 p.m. Saturday; 2:30-6 p.m. Sunday. Free. Daniel Drake Park, 800 Red Bank Road, Kennedy Heights, juneteenthcincinnati.org.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2014.
