'One of the premier Juneteenth events': Mount Dora's Juneteenth celebration set for Saturday

MOUNT DORA — Mount Dora's second-annual Juneteenth celebration is set for this weekend.

This family-friendly event will commemorate the federal holiday, also known as "Freedom Day."

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19, the anniversary of the day General Order No. 3 by Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas, the last state with institutional slavery in 1865.

The event will kick off in Mount Dora June at noon Saturday. It runs until 6 p.m. at Cauley Lott Park, 1717 N. Highland St. The event is jam-packed with live music, 50/50 chance drawings, free food, vendors and more. There's a civic aspect, too, with voter registration opportunities.

"It will be one of the premier Juneteenth events in the county," Mae Hazelton, event organizer and All About the Ballots Founder, said. "Come out and join us. We think it's going to be an awesome time."

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'Lots going on'

This year's Juneteenth celebration will include music, water slides, live entertainment, free food, prize giveaways, voter registration and education, face painting, balloon art, cakewalks, community vendors and a beer garden.

"It's going to be a family-friendly community event and we have lots going on," Hazelton said. "Our goal is to present an inclusive, fun-filled, family-oriented environment."

For live entertainment, the event will feature some famous faces in Central Florida including recording vocalist, guitarist, and author Ruth King; award-winning singer, actress, and playwright Mzuri; and popular local artist and group Willie Green and Soul Therapy Band.

Hazelton said they will also be hosting multiple 50/50 chance drawings throughout the day for participants to win gift cards and gift baskets.

"We have raffles — we have lots of raffles. We get gift cards and so occasionally we'll stop and do a raffle. And it's just fun," Hazelton said. "We normally give out gas gift cards, we give out food gift cards, we tend to not give out money gift cards. We give out things of value."

There will also be mini art contests for the kids and all participants get to take home a prize.

Vendors will be lining the street with booths selling Black history books, T-shirts and other goods. Volunteers will traverse the event explaining the history and importance of Juneteenth.

The Tri-City NAACP and the Lake County Supervisor of Elections will also be attending the event, and setting up their own voter information booths.

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Trying to top last year

Last year, more than 200 people of all races attended the event, Hazelton said, and she's expecting an even better turnout this year.

One of her favorite activities from last year was their cakewalk. A cakewalk is a carnival game similar to musical chairs where the winner gets to take home a cake.

"Last year they played until it was this middle-aged white guy and a 13-year-old Black boy trying to get that cake. And everybody was just dying laughing because it's so much fun," Hazelton said. "At that point it's not about Black or white, it's not about race, it's not about politics, it's not about parties, it's about who's going to win that cake."

This year, they'll be hosting two cakewalks and La Petite Bakery in Mount Dora will be donating cupcakes and a red velvet cake for the winners.

"The signature and hallmark of our event is that we try and do everything for free," Hazelton said.

This year, local businesses have stepped in to provide free food for the celebrations including barbecue chicken, ribs, seafood, cold drinks, ice cream, Italian ice and more.

"Our sponsors help us do this so it's more of a come out and let us be a community," she said.

Hazelton added that this year's event wouldn't be possible without the hard work of their organizing team including her All About the Ballots co-founder Cassandra Brown; GoMountDora's Brian Young; Cedric Scott, owner of Peachy Enterprises; Ozell Ward of the Community Development Corporation of Mt. Dora; and Nate Walker, a Mt. Dora City Council Member.

Celebrating an important milestone

This is the second year our nation has come together to celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

"The emancipation of slaves in fact was about freeing slaves, but it was also about freeing the country from that awful period," Hazelton said. "We still have a lot of changes that need to be made and a lot of freedoms that we are fighting for but that is a hallmark of the start of the journey. We want to be inclusive rather than exclusive."

Hazelton is thrilled Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday.

"We all stop in a unified manner, whether we're Black or white or whatever, and recognize Juneteenth as a point in the American history where Americans said slavery is not good," she said. "And if I may so, and I do, I think this country needs periods of unification where we come together and we're not divisive, we're diverse."

Hazelton applauds all cities across the nation jumping in and hosting Juneteenth events.

Among them is the city of Clermont. A Juneteenth Cultural Celebration will be held 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Waterfront Park, 300 3rd Street. This free event will include musical and dance performances, a local vendor market and authentic cuisine.

And Groveland’s second annual Juneteenth event is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Lake David Park. There will be music, dance, celebratory food specials, family activities and more.

Hazelton said she cannot wait to celebrate with the Mount Dora community.

"So the idea is everyone walks away with this thought in mind — 'I had a great Juneteenth holiday, I learned and I'm educated about Juneteenth, it was in my front yard, the memories are fond, I want to do this again, and I can't wait until next year,'" she said.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Mount Dora's second-annual Juneteenth celebration set for this weekend