NWA Juneteenth Celebration Returns for 28th Annual Event

The U of A and the NWA Juneteenth Committee invite the Northwest Arkansas community, friends and family to the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration & Freedom Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024. This year marks 28 years of celebrating Juneteenth in Northwest Arkansas.

Juneteenth is the federal holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the emancipation of African Americans. The official Juneteenth holiday is June 19.

The 2024 Juneteenth Celebration & Freedom Festival in downtown Springdale will be the highlight of the NWA celebration as attendees can take part in a festival of music, food and fun.

FREEDOM FESTIVAL

In partnership with Music Moves, Community Cohesion Project and Interform Fashion, the Freedom Festival will take place on Saturday, June 15, in downtown Springdale at the Shiloh Pavilion (106 W. Emma Ave., Springdale) from 2-11 p.m.

Attendees can expect a kid’s zone with games and activities, a vendor market featuring local entrepreneurs and businesses, a live fashion show, giveaways for attendees and an incredible array of musical talent featuring top names and nostalgic acts providing entertainment for the entire family.

This year’s music lineup will include: Soul Train nominated R&B artist Donell Jones, iconic funk band Cameo and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Twista. Several local and regional artists will open the festival.

Volunteers are still needed to assist with this event. If you would like to volunteer, please complete the Volunteer Registration Form on the Juneteenth website.

Event sponsors include: Tyson Family Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Walmart, Tyson Foods, Division of University Advancement, Crystal Bridges, Arvest Bank, Penguin Ed’s, Harris Baking Company and the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas.

For up-to-date information, visit the website juneteenth.uark.edu/ or the NWA Juneteenth Celebration Facebook event page.

ABOUT JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth, or the “19th of June,” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It recognizes June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger announced freedom for all slaves in the Southwest.

This was the last major vestige of slavery in the United States following the end of the Civil War and occurred more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. Upon the reading of General Order No. 3 by Granger, the former slaves celebrated jubilantly, establishing America’s second Independence Day celebration and the oldest African-American holiday observance.

In 2006, the Arkansas Legislature first recognized Juneteenth as a state memorial day commemorated by the issuance of a proclamation from Gov. Mike Huckabee.

In 2021, Juneteenth officially became a national holiday in the United States.

Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom and achievement while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

For more information about the Northwest Arkansas Juneteenth Celebration, please visit the Juneteenth.uark.edu or contact Danielle Williams at dlw11@uark.edu.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.