Rochester’s Juneteenth Festival will return June 19-20 to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, bringing a parade, performances and community events to the city’s annual celebration of emancipation. Danielle Ponder is set to perform on the second day.
Organizers announced the details Wednesday at a news conference that opened with drumming by Nehast Kawaida and a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Jess BU. This year’s festival, which is more than two decades old, is being put on by the Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and the Rochester Area Community Foundation under the theme “Beloved Community.”
Juneteenth is held June 19 and commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, and Rochester’s festival has grown into a two-day gathering that tries to carry that history into the present. Nikia Washington said Juneteenth is “more than a holiday,” calling it a testament to resilience, freedom and the strength of people who never gave up.
The first day falls on Juneteenth itself and runs from noon to 5 p.m. at the park at Chestnut and Court streets. Organizers said it will include an elders circle, education on the history and significance of Juneteenth, and performers and entertainment. On June 20, the second day begins with a parade at 11 a.m. at Main and State streets, then moves down East Avenue and Chestnut Street before arriving at the park. Festival and performance activities will continue from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with rock climbing, face painting, haircuts, local food and vendors also part of the lineup.
The festival’s theme this year references Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of the “Beloved Community,” and Simeon Banister said recent policies from Washington and a Supreme Court decision affecting the Voting Rights Act have made deeper community mobilizing necessary. He said progress is rooted in people and added that the community must think differently about economic arrangements and about how it connects with one another if it wants to move forward. More information is available at racf.org/juneteenth.
