image

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – After significant funding cuts jeopardized the future of the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival (SCJF), organizers say the event is moving forward this year with a new location, thanks to community support.

Juneteenth is a national holiday – held on June 19 – that commemorates the official emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S.

For the past four years, it’s been celebrated in Colorado Springs with a festival held at America the Beautiful Park. The event is hosted by OneBodyEnt., a local nonprofit dedicated to serving youth and adults by helping prevent criminal offenses and re-offenses.

But after the event’s funding was slashed in 2024, along with many other city events, it was unclear if SCJF would return for a fifth year.

OneBodyEnt. put out a community call to action over Facebook, asking for the public’s help in funding the event. Organizers say that’s when donations started pouring in, and they raised thousands of dollars to offset the cuts.

Businesses also reached out to offer their help – including the Citadel Mall, who offered to host the festival this year on their premises.

“Following conversations to ensure that festival expectations are met, we are proud to announce that the new location for the 2025 Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival is at the Citadel Mall,” organizers said in a press release.

The event will be held outside the mall, in the parking lot closest to the old Baby’s R Us location. Organizers say the festival’s new home will give attendees access to the mall, ample parking, close access to public transportation and room for all vendors.

The festival is free to the public, and will feature music and comedy performances from national artists, a car show, a literacy corner and a fashion show and an assortment of vendors, along with many more.

“We look forward to all of your continued support as we make this move for the 2025 SCJF and can’t wait to see all of you this year as we continue our tradition in our home Colorado Springs,” event organizers said.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.