POTSDAM – The fifth annual Potsdam community-wide Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 22 from 4-8 p.m., at the Ives Park Gazebo, behind the hotel and public parking lot at 1 Main St. in Potsdam.  

All are invited to attend.

This free family-friendly event celebrates the culture of African-Americans and provides a space for Black voices to be honored in the community.

A free meal consisting of heritage-rich foods traditional to Juneteenth will be catered by Big Spoon Kitchen and the Rollin Soul food truck.

All are welcome to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket and enjoy good food, entertainment and presentations.

The public is invited to learn about Juneteenth, African-American culture, and local history through entertainment, exhibitors, displays and brief historical presentations.

There will be music with DJ Fresh1 and the headliners are Trumptight315, an R&B Funk band with a twist.

There will be music, drumming, dancing, and fun for all ages.

Other featured artists include Benjamin Mambou with smooth jazz, hip hop with local talent K Twist & The Piece of the Solution, and visual artist Khuumba Ama from New York City.

Lift Every Voice & Sing will be performed by Niciara House and Jahonna Sloan.

Sound is provided by Barker Productions.

The program and events also include many children's activities, a bounce house from Capture Culture, and a Black Is Beautiful Fashion Show, which welcomes more participants by emailing PotssdamJuneteenth@gmail.com.

There is no cost at all to attend the event, but a Go Fund Me page for donations has been set up at the webpage bit.ly/JuneteenthDonation.

Volunteers to help that day are also welcome and can sign up at the webpage bit.ly/June22Volunteer.

Juneteenth is Freedom Day for African-Americans, a celebration to mark the day when the last remaining American slaves learned they were finally free from bondage in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Sponsors for the event include Clarkson University, SEIU 1199, Price Chopper/Market 32, SLC Arts Council, Adirondack Diversity Initiative, Potsdam Food Co-op, First Presbyterian of Potsdam, Potsdam United Methodist, Poor People's Campaign of the North Country, ASync Arts, Great Northern Printing, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Potsdam Church of Latter Day Saints. Fiscal Sponsors are the Potsdam Public Library and Local Living Venture, with media sponsors North Country Public Radio.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

Contact PotsdamJuneteenth@gmail.com. The Facebook page for the event can be found at https://bit.ly/June22Potsdam, or @PotsdamJuneteenthCelebration. The rain location is Clarkson University's IRC Arena (follow the signs on campus.)