A complete guide to Fayetteville, Cumberland County Juneteenth celebrations
There's no holding back the celebrations for Juneteenth in the Fayetteville area this year. From Spring Lake to Hope Mills, there are back-to-back events through the weekend.
While President Joe Biden signed legislation just last year establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, the Fayetteville area has played host to Juneteenth events for several years. The day is set aside to commemorate the end of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation
Circa 1865, a nonprofit that promotes unity within the African American diaspora, held its first Juneteenth celebration in the area in 2018.
This year's Juneteenth events span four days including celebrations in downtown Fayetteville and Festival Park. This year, Circa 1865, founded by Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony, partnered with Cool Spring Downtown District and the city of Fayetteville to create the Juneteenth Jubilee.
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Juneteenth Carnival
The Juneteenth Freedom Festival and WCCG 104.5 FM present the Juneteenth Carnival, June 16 -19 at 1111 N. Bragg Blvd., Spring Lake, in the Southwind Plaza parking lot.
The carnival, which will feature food trucks and attractions, was initially scheduled to include rides, but Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony said the company that was supposed to provide the rides dropped out. A replacement was found, but state officials weren't able to perform necessary inspections to allow the rides to be offered, Anthony said.
Juneteenth Launch Party
The Juneteenth Freedom Festival holds a launch party at 6 p.m. June 16 at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, 5435 Corporation Drive, Hope Mills.
The free event features food trucks, drinks, music and a playground for children.
Juneteenth Jubilee
The Juneteenth Jubilee will kick off in downtown Fayetteville at noon on Saturday with a full-day street festival. The festival will feature nationally touring headliners Morray, Amythyst Kiah, The Fatback Band, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, and Reggie Codrington. There will also be entertainment from local musical acts and food trucks, vendors, artists and artisans.
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Juneteenth Jubilee Heritage Brunch
Cool Spring Downtown District and Circa 1865 will host the Juneteenth Jubilee Heritage Brunch 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sunday at Studio215, 215 Williams St.
The brunch will showcase the talents of Black chefs and culinary students and will feature southern Black cuisine.
Tickets begin at $25 and a VIP table can be purchased for $750 on Eventbrite.
The featured keynote speaker at the brunch is Jaki Shelton Green, North Carolina’s ninth poet laureate.
Praise Party in the Park
Praise Party in the Park, presented by the city of Fayetteville and Magic 106.9, will be the final event of the citywide Juneteenth celebration noon-6 p.m. Sunday at Festival Park, 335 Ray Ave.
The free event is hosted by Magic 106.9’s radio personality Alysse Stewart and headlined by three-time Grammy award-winning Gospel singer and songwriter Donnie McClurkin.
Other speakers include First Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Joshua Haire, who will be the keynote speaker; Pastor Demetria Davis Fayetteville and Mayor Mitch Colvin
Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at akyles@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: A guide to Juneteenth celebrations in Fayetteville, NC
