Vicksburg celebrates Juneteenth

This year’s Juneteenth celebration took place Saturday at Halls Ferry Park in Vicksburg.

Though Juneteenth will not officially arrive until Wednesday, this year’s celebration kicked off at 10 a.m. with pre-holiday festivities, including live music, storytelling, poetry and vendors and ran through 7 p.m.

This year’s theme was “It’s a Family Affair” and featured entertainment sponsored by the Vicksburg Juneteenth Heritage Festival Committee, the City of Vicksburg, Ameristar Casino and Hotel, Visit Vicksburg and Visit Mississippi.

Vicksburg’s first Juneteenth Heritage Festival, chaired by Tillman Whitley, occurred on June 19, 1993, on Monroe Street. Six years later, on June 19, 1999, and spearheaded by Ezell Matthews McDonald, a local businesswoman who focused on African American culture, history and traditions, the second Juneteenth Celebration was held in Marcus Bottom. Since the 1999 festival, Juneteenth has been celebrated in Vicksburg at various churches and locations.