WORCESTER, Mass. — People gathered at Institute Park in Worcester on Saturday for the city’s annual Black Heritage Juneteenth Festival, which featured dozens of local Black artists, musicians and creators.
The festival was largely organized by Sha-Asia Medina and her mother Parlee Jones, with help from Fred Taylor, president of the Worcester NAACP.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, which happened on June 19, 1865, when union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War.
Along with the dozens of vendors showcasing their creations at the festival, people could also enjoy food, live music and learn more about local community organizations.
Taylor said in the past few years, there’s been more awareness of Juneteenth and its significance, but this festival has been going strong since 1997.
“We’re really glad that across the country, it’s become a national holiday and a lot of states are starting to celebrate Juneteenth. It’s really important to us,” Taylor said. “This is a good thing, because as it’s being commemorated, more and more people are learning about our history and learning more about Juneteenth.”
A Juneteenth event was also held on Saturday at Franklin Park in Boston, and the city’s Museum of African American History had a full day of activities with stories, crafts and live jazz performances.
