The Bethlehem Center will host its first annual Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 19 from 12 pm – 5 pm at the center’s location in Chattanooga’s Southside at 200 W. 38th Street.
In honor of the commemoration of African-American emancipation celebrated annually across the United States, the Bethlehem Center decided to host a Juneteenth Festival with the goal of bringing Chattanooga communities together for a great day of celebration, fellowship and to support locally owned African American small businesses. There will be food trucks and more than 20 vendors selling art, handmade jewelry, holistic skin products, and more onsite at the festival.
“Juneteenth is such an important moment in history that should be acknowledged and celebrated,” said Reginald F. Smith, II, Executive Director of the Bethlehem Center. “We are extremely excited to host the first annual Juneteenth Festival and honored to provide a space where all communities can come together to support local businesses, access resources, and participate in a cultural heritage event in the Greater Chattanooga area.”
Juneteenth is the oldest known commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger announced that slaves in Texas were free by order of the President of the United States. The announcement came two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. Although celebrated throughout the United States since 1865, Juneteenth has been more widely observed since the Civil Rights Movement, providing a platform for the promotion of diversity and an opportunity for education about the sacrifices and challenges endured by enslaved Americans during their struggle for freedom.
For more information about the Juneteenth Festival or to learn about vendor and partnership opportunities, please contact Shari Watson at (423) 266-1384 ext. 103 or send an email to swatson@thebeth.org