Several events are coming to Peoria soon for Juneteenth

PEORIA (25News Now) – Peoria will have multiple opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth.

At a press conference on Thursday at the Peoria Freedom and Remembrance Memorial Park, the Peoria Park District announced several events for Juneteenth, or June 19.

In a collaborative effort with the City of Peoria, the YANI Collective, the NAACP Peoria Branch, Peoria’s Miss Juneteenth Pageant, the Southside Community Center, and the Heritage Ensemble, shared black historical moments in Central Illinois, encouraging everyone to attend the events starting Saturday.

On the holiday, PPD Supervisor of Community Connections Chanel Hargrave-Murry said Jubilee Day at Glen Oak Park will offer a car show, a drone show, and food trucks from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“The importance of us celebrating Juneteenth is keeping the memory alive, because there was a point where we weren’t able to celebrate this way,” she said. “When it did come out, when the soldiers were able to make it to Texas, it became a jubilee day. It’s so important to keep that memory alive.”

The first event is the Miss Juneteenth pageant at the Carver Center this Saturday, with several categories. For more information, click here.

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