City of Auburn celebrates Juneteenth with 4th annual festival

AUBURN, Ala. (WTVM) – Juneteenth is underway and the Auburn community is celebrating with an annual Juneteenth festival.

Many people in Auburn celebrated on Saturday with a “Juneteenth Festival”. From 10 a.m. – to 5 p.m., hundreds enjoyed free food, and music, and embraced the true meaning of the holiday. At noon, attendees gathered for a ceremony that started with the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

When asked “What does Juneteenth mean to you, many people had different meanings, however, one word was in everyone’s definition, freedom.

Event organizer, Councilwoman, Connie Taylor says this event is organized by everyone, not just one group. “It’s not just about black people, it’s about every person and so everyone is welcome to come out,” said Taylor.

After hosting this event for 4 years, Taylor says the community should expect more in years to come. “We gonna try to continue this thing every year and I hope it gets bigger and better every year,” said Taylor.

Juneteenth is a national holiday celebrated on June 19 remembering the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in 1865. On June 19, 1865, at least 250,000 slaves were freed by US Army troops in Galveston, Texas. Since becoming a national holiday in 2021, people have brought awareness yearly with events such as the festival in Auburn.