Edinburg to host 30th Annual Juneteenth Celebration This Saturday
Edinburg, Texas, June 13, 2023 – The City of Edinburg invites the community to its 30th annual Juneteenth Celebration, an event showcasing the rich Black heritage of the Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, June 17, 2023. This year’s Juneteenth celebration theme is “Discovering Our Roots.” Guests will enjoy captivating exhibits, inspiring speakers, and soul-stirring musical performances.
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Juneteenth is a national holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and ended slavery, it was not until June 19, 1865, that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. Since then, communities across the nation have celebrated Juneteenth, and on June 17, 2022, President Joe Biden designated it as an official federal holiday.
The festivities start at 4 p.m. with a commemorative ceremony at Edinburg Municipal Auditorium (EMA) located at 200 N. 7th Ave, right behind City Hall. This commemorative program will showcase the history and meaning of Juneteenth along with the local historical context, including information on Edinburg’s black historical locations and prominent members of the black community.
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At 6 p.m., a two-block Juneteenth march led by the Juneteenth Brass Band will take place from the historic auditorium to the Promenade Park Amphitheater, where the festivities will continue with plenty of family-friendly activities, cultural demonstrations, five-dollar all-you-can-ride carnival rides, vendors and a block party featuring Michael Jackson impersonator Danny Dash Andrews.
This is another great event brought to you by the City of Edinburg, the Library & Cultural Arts Department, and the Juneteenth Jubilee Committee in collaboration with VIVA (Village in the Valley), a non-profit organization with a mission to unite all cultures in the Rio Grande Valley.
For more information on this event, contact the City’s Library & Cultural Arts Department at 956-383-6246 or visit the City’s Cultural Arts website at www.edinburgarts.com.
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