Every summer we fire up the grills, blast the speakers and gawk at some firework show in celebration of our country's independence on July 4. However, for hundreds of thousands enslaved people, this was just the beginning of almost a century-long battle for their freedom. June 19 has become known as "Emancipation Day" or "Freedom Day" because on this day in 1865 the first slaves in the South became free people. Cincinnati's Juneteenth Festival celebrates the anniversary of our freed ancestors and the essence of the African-American culture. The Parade of Flags of the African Diaspora will be kicking off the weekend long festivities at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. There will be live entertainment from Basic Truth, The Joneses and a slew of others performing either on The Mirror Lake Stage or The Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park (Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams). On top of the parade and continuous live entertainment, there will be activities for the kids and vendor booths selling clothes, food, jewelry and whatever else you can think of. Reconnect with the past while helping future generations understand the meaning of this unique festival. It runs all day Saturday and Sunday.
Go here for more festival info.
