Juneteenth Festival Will be Held in Highland Falls

HIGHLAND FALLS – The 2017 Laura Lanier Juneteenth Cultural Festival and Juneteenth Observance Ceremony is coming to town.

Commemorating freedom for the last slaves in the U.S., the festival will feature family-friendly activities, musical concerts, dancers, vendors, food, and seminars.

On Saturday, June 24, the celebration will open at 11:00 am with a parade followed by a flag-raising ceremony at 12:00 pm. A 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will begin at 1:00 pm. The festivities will culminate with a concert with (beginning at 3:00 pm). Tony-award winning and four-time Grammy-nominated singer/actress Melba Moore will perform at 7:45pm. Ms. Moore will also host a meet-and-greet after her set.

On Sunday June 25, the celebration will feature a Gospel Music Showcase from 3-6 pm with Jackson Mississippi’s Pastor Tomaz Adams, former Highland Falls resident Terry Selby & Band, “Showtime at the Apollo” talent competition winner Damulous, Pennsylvania duo Unlimited Praise and Newburgh-based Grace Music Group.

All festival events will be held in Roe Park, 36 Roe Ave., Highland Falls.

The celebration will also honor the memory of Laura Lanier, the Highland Falls native who was the founder and driving force behind area Juneteenth celebrations, the first of which was held in 2003. An Air Force Veteran and Highland Falls native who served both her country and her community proudly, Lanier passed away in January 2014.

June 19, 1865 is considered the date when the last slaves in America were emancipated. On the same date the following year, those former slaves celebrated their freedom and combined the 19th day with the month of June to give the celebration a name.

The day has since become an official holiday in Texas and Oklahoma and has been observed in over 200 other cities throughout the country, symbolizing the day America truly became one nation. Juneteenth serves as a historical milestone and a reminder of the human spirit triumphs over the cruelty of slavery.

Artists and vendors are invited to contact the Highland Falls Juneteenth Committee via Brendajoy Griffin at (845) 205-2888 for participation information.