The 47th Consecutive Juneteenth Festival took place on Saturday, June 18, 2022. There were tons of activities happening at MLK Park as a part of the festivities. After being held virtually for the past two years due to the pandemic, it was exciting to have a live, in-person Juneteenth celebration again. The parade kicked off at 11 am and with a massive line-up. Myself, Yasmin Young, and Ed-Nice were in the WBLK vehicle. It was great to see all of the businesses, organizations, community leaders, and especially the drill and dance teams in the parade.

The Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo was started in 1976 by B.U.I.L.D., a community-based organization, as a culturally relevant alternative to the country's Bicentennial Celebration. The group blocked off part of Jefferson Avenue -- the "Main Street" of Buffalo's Black community -- for a weekend celebration.

There was food, vendors, music, performances, community resources, shopping and of course information about our history and heritage. The festival featured three performance stages - the main stage, the edu-tainment stage and the arts and cultural stage. There was a health pavilion, agricultural pavillion and kids' area.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and why we celebrate it, click here.

You can find more information about the Juneteenth Festival, as well as merchandise at buffalojuneteenth.com.

Check Out Photos From The 47th Consecutive Juneteenth Festival (2022) In Buffalo