Tempe History Museum celebrates Juneteenth this Saturday

Enjoy hands-on activities, performances, vendors, storytime, a video game trailer, first responder vehicles, food trucks and more at Tempe History Museum on June 15 in celebration of Juneteenth.

The event is free, open to all ages and no registration is required, according to a city release

Event highlights to expect are an indoor stage with performances, table displays and information, children's hands-on activities, food trucks and vendors, a video game trailer and storytime for children by local community heroes.

The stage will feature a performance by Prime Society, an Honor Guard, a presentation of proclamations from the city of Tempe and the state of Arizona and a presentation of African American Advisory Committee Scholarship and other awards.

There will be table displays by exhibitors, community resources and vendors.

Attendees can also enjoy refreshments from Smitty’s Kitchen, Buzznbeez, Bereisheet129, Cuties Lemonade and Snowie Town Snow Cones.

Juneteenth marks the historic day of June 19, 1865, when enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas finally heard they were freed from slavery, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the release explained.

“We are embracing the theme of Excellence in Liberation. This theme signifies the importance of pursuing liberation, in order to build a future where justice, equality, and freedom prevail for all forever," Dr. Felicia Durden, who serves on the committee, stated in the release.

The African American Advisory Committee was formed in 2008 as a Tempe History Museum advisory committee to create a forum, collect and preserve the African American history of Tempe, and promote those stories for the benefit of the community of Tempe.

The committee meets monthly to plan events throughout the year, including Juneteenth and Black History Month celebrations.

For information about the Juneteenth Celebration, visit tempe.gov/Juneteenth or call the Tempe History Museum at 480-350-5100.