Release Date: May 28,2024
Downtown Akron to Hold Two-Day Juneteenth Celebration
May 28, 2024, Akron, Ohio — Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) will host Juneteenth celebrations alongside long-running neighborhood celebrations this year with a Juneteenth Mix & Mingle at the Knight Stage on Friday, June 21, from 6 to 8 pm, and a larger family celebration at Cascade Plaza on Saturday, June 22, from 3 to 7 pm.
This year’s event returns for the second year in a row as a two-day affair. The Mix & Mingle will be an opportunity for community members to enjoy time together, network and get to know some of downtown Akron’s Black-owned businesses in the stylish, intimate venue that is the Knight Stage. The family celebration on Saturday will include live performances, vendors, free activities and more at Cascade Plaza. At 7 pm, the celebration will shift to the Lock 3 Back Yard with live music. The 2024 headlining entertainment for the celebration is the acclaimed New Orleans band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, presented by Lock 3 and performing at the Lock 3 Back Yard at 8:30 pm.
The Downtown Akron Juneteenth Celebration is a community-led, consensus-driven observance of Black joy, history and hope. Planning of the event is facilitated by DAP with a committee of community members that includes business leaders, residents, members of local government and others. There will be a unique focus this year on Black history in Akron, with highlights of the history of Howard Street, Akron’s jazz scene, the work of Reconnecting Our Community and more.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date on which Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free by executive decree. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, scores of enslaved people were finally freed when Confederate control of the state was dissolved. Newly freed people in Texas christened the day “Juneteenth,” and the day has been celebrated for over 150 years. In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.
Those interested in vendor or engagement opportunities for this year’s celebration can fill out the Juneteenth vendor form.
DAP is seeking corporate sponsorship for this event. Information about sponsorship, as well as additional information about the Downtown Akron Juneteenth Celebration and Juneteenth celebrations throughout Akron can be found on the DAP website.
The 2024 Downtown Akron Juneteenth Celebration is presented by DAP in partnership with the City of Akron, Lock 3, and Akron Civic Theatre, with additional support from Knight Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, Akron Civic Commons and GAR Foundation.