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The first Juneteenth Fest hosted by the NAACP Drew County Branch is scheduled for June 15 at the Monticello town square.

The event will be open from 2-5 p.m. and will kick off a week of celebrations related to the federal holiday.

A Juneteenth commemorative ceremony at the town square is scheduled for noon June 19, the actual holiday.

Members of the community on June 15 will enjoy a fun, festive and historic moment with food trucks, vendors, a kid zone, a DJ and a gospel hour, according to the NAACP branch.

Regina Wells, chairperson of the Drew County Branch Housing Committee coordinating the celebration, said she wants the event to depict the tradition and history of the first Juneteenth in 1865.

On June 19, members of the community will recognize the holiday’s significance and honor members of the branch who paved the way for this moment, according to a news release.

Juneteenth commemorative flags were purchased in honor of living and deceased loved ones, and those flags will be dedicated and displayed throughout June on the town square.

The guest speaker for June 19 will be Barry Jefferson, the NAACP Arkansas state conference president and former president of the NAACP Jacksonville Branch.

“This is a dream come true,” said Drew County Branch President Clarissa Pace.

“When I relocated from El Dorado to Monticello, I often thought about establishing the celebration locally.

“When Regina Wells, chair of the Drew County NAACP Branch Housing Committee, mentioned that their committee wanted to host this event, I was all for it.

“The executive committee heard the plans and was ready to move forward.

“This is only the beginning of greater works in our community.

“And we still support our sisters and brothers in Wilmar and will always be a part of their longtime history of the Juneteenth celebration,” Pace concluded.

Everyone is invited to attend and Juneteenth T-shirts may be preordered, the branch said.

All details and purchases may be read by going to dcnaacp6042.org/Juneteenth.

“Let’s come together in the spirit of Juneteenth and what it represents to the nation,” Pace said.