First official city of Newberry Juneteenth event coming June 19

NEWBERRY, S.C. (WIS) - The inaugural Newberry Juneteenth is set for June 19 and will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Downtown Newberry.

The Newberry Juneteenth Committee invites all to, “celebrate freedom, learn the history, share the stories, taste the food, hear the music, and see the talent of our community.”

The exhibit features a timeline-oriented booklet discussing events in Black history that lead to the events of Juneteenth Freedom Day in 1865 and beyond.

The history timeline is displayed in the form of a large-scale canvas mural, videos celebrating the holiday, and artifacts highlighting Newberry’s black history.

Those wishing to show support for the celebration of freedom are invited to participate in the Juneteenth march at 9:30 a.m. before the 10 a.m. grand opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony will include a proclamation reading and singing of, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

At noon, the Newberry Juneteenth Talent Showcase will begin. This will feature 10 groups and individuals performing spoken word, gospel, dance, hip-hop, rap, step, and song.

Finally, the final stage performance at 1 p.m. will feature Darius Stark’s Jazz band.

The event will also feature food and business vendors of Newberry’s Black owned business community -- vendors will be placed along downtown’s Main Street.

Children’s activities will include:

Creating “mini chicken” paintings with Ernest Lee, aka “Chicken Man”
Chalk art creation and Juneteenth swag from Newberry’s Kraft Heinz corporation
Free Basketball Hot Shot contest complete with prizes, free balloon twisting by balloon artist, juggler, and street magician, Ralph Summers

Additional precautions against the COVID-19 virus will be taken, including spacing vendors to allow for social distancing of event visitors, placing handwash stations throughout the event space, and encouraging mask wearing by those who have not yet been able to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.

For more information -- contact Newberry Parks, Recreation and Tourism at (803) 321-1015.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.