QUINCY, Ill. (KHQA) — This weekend was the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday in Quincy.
Juneteenth is celebrated annually to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States.
Many gathered at Washington Park in Quincy for a day full of different games, food, vendors, and other community organizations.
One of the booths set up commemorated the historic New Philadelphia site located in Pike County, which was the first town in the United States platted and registered by an African American before the Civil War.
New Philadelphia organizers say because of this, Juneteenth means a lot to them.
“It’s a really important recognition of the struggles enslaved people over the years, and so it’s something that we want to celebrate and recognize and continue to build the awareness of the whole plight of people that have faced incredible difficulties over the years,” said Kaye Iftner, President of the New Philadelphia Association.
The festivities were all weekend in Quincy, including a gala at the Oakley-Lindsay Center on Friday, as well as a community concert that took place at the First Baptist Church.
The Quincy City Council adopted Juneteenth as a city holiday last month.
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