GREENSBORO, N.C. — On June 19th, millions of people across the country will pause to recognize Juneteenth.
This is the city's third year commemorating the holiday and organizers of the 2023 Juneteenth GSO Fest are doing it up with four days filled with events celebrating Black culture.
Juneteenth was first honored in Greensboro on June 19, 1996, with a citywide festival.
Years later, Councilwoman Sharon Hightower and Juneteenth Black Food Truck Founder and Architect/community activist, April Parker pushed for Juneteenth to become a city holiday. The city council officially declared June 19 a day of remembrance and celebration in 2021.
Joseph Wilkerson of Uptown Greensboro Incorporated and Parker joined The Good Morning Show to speak about two events they're organizing during the festivals over the next few days.
On Thursday, Sistars of Juneteenth will kick off festivities at the Carolina Theatre of Greensboro with performances in poetry, drama, music, and dance.
Friday will be the second annual Arts Legacy Awards at the Van Dyke Performance Space. The event is a way to acknowledge and celebrate the legacy Black artists have made in Greensboro. You can buy tickets here.
Wilkerson with Uptown Greensboro Inc. will host a free arts and crafts festival at Sternberger Park on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.
If you find yourself getting hungry later in the day, you can make your way to Center City and Lebauer Park for the Juneteenth Black Food Truck Festival taking place on Saturday as well from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
To wrap up the weekend lineup, on Sunday, the inaugural Juneteenth Gospel Superfest: Interfaith Celebration will take place at Barber Park from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
You can find the full lineup of events HERE.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.