'Great way for people to know their history': Utica celebrates Juneteenth

The weather was unusually cold for a mid-June day, hovering in the 50s with overcast skies and the occasional gust of wind. But that didn't stop residents at Utica's Juneteenth celebration Saturday at Chancellor Park.

"We're going through with our day, rain or shine," said Dietra Harvey, one of the event organizers.

Musicians performed live from the park's gazebo, while vendors offered food, artwork, clothing and a variety of other products.

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Saturday's event was a day ahead of the Juneteenth holiday — the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when the news slavery was outlawed finally reached Galveston, Texas.

Utica's longstanding annual celebration goes back to when African American Heritage Day was celebrated in August in the park, event organizer Robbie Dancy said. She eventually combined it with the Juneteenth holiday, she said.

"This is a great way for people to know their history, some of our history," she said.

This year's celebration is one of several Juneteenth events occurring over the long weekend, including walking tours, a "Run Against Racism," an event on Black hairstyles at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute and Levitt Amp's first concert of the year.

Harvey said the Juneteenth celebration has attendees every year who are still learning about the holiday and its ties to emancipation for Black Americans, though awareness has increased after it was made a federal holiday last year.

"It's always going to be new, it's always going to be a refresher," she said. "But it's always relevant."

H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Juneteenth in Utica NY: 'Great way for people to know their history'