Lowcountry group prepares to celebrate freedom from slavery with festival

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Juneteenth is coming up Wednesday, which means the celebrations are starting off this weekend here in the Lowcountry.

June 19th commemorates the official ending of slavery in the United States. It was declared a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Now, people across the country gather to celebrate and one group is getting a head start.

This weekend an organization will celebrate ahead of the holiday with the Fourth Annual Juneteenth Family Fest.

The festival will be held at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park all day long Saturday and anyone can come out to celebrate.

The celebration will have an abundance of activities such as games, Black art displays, cultural food and live music performances.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities will also be on-site, and the night will end with a big fireworks display for everyone to enjoy.

One of the event organizers, Joselyn Johnson, said they do this because of the meaning of the holiday.

“This is the true celebration of freedom from slavery for all. It just represents the struggle of our ancestors and even those allies that supported the mission too,” Johnson said.

The Passion Project Initiative is the organization behind the festival.

Johnson says the event is for the community and by the community.

“We have to remember that Charleston, over 80% of Africans can trace their descendants here to Charleston, to our slave tree,” Johnson said. “So this is kind of a hub. Being able to do this here is historical every year. We have people who come from all across, our data shows we have people coming from even New York to come and spend this holiday with us.”

The Juneteenth celebration will begin at 3 p.m. Arrivals start as early as 2 p.m. The festival will go until 10 p.m. and everyone is invited to come and celebrate. That address is 1061 Everglades Avenue.