Daytona Beach's Juneteenth parade, festival and banquet set for next month

Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read

DAYTONA BEACH — The 26th annual Daytona Beach Juneteenth Family Festival, a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the 1860s, will be held June 15.

Festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. with the second annual Juneteenth Community Parade in the city's historic Midtown neighborhood. The theme of this year's parade is "Celebrating Unity in the Community."

Presented in partnership with Bethune-Cookman University, the parade will travel through the heart of Midtown from Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard to George Engram Boulevard.

Those interested in participating in this year's parade – including marching bands, dance troupes, community organizations and businesses – need to call (386) 232-8105, email committee@juneteenthdaytona.org or visit www.juneteenthdaytona.com/events to download the entry form. The deadline to submit the entry form is June 7.

The scene at the Juneteenth celebration at Cypress Park in Daytona Beach on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
The scene at the Juneteenth celebration at Cypress Park in Daytona Beach on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Immediately following the parade, the fun will continue with the Juneteenth Family Festival at Cypress Park at the corner of Nova Road and George Engram Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The free, all-day event will feature live entertainment, food trucks, a variety of vendors, activities for children, the Sankofa African Traveling Museum, a pound cake competition and more.

Those interested in becoming a vendor, should contact Antoinette Noelien at (386) 400-2906 or go to www.juneteenthdaytona.com/vendors to download a registration form. The deadline to submit the vending registration form is May 12.

The Hometown Heroes Awards Banquet is the final event of the Daytona Beach Juneteenth celebration. Slated to begin at 7 p.m. June 18 at the Mori Hosseini Student Center on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, every year the banquet recognizes Daytona Beach-area residents who strive to make a difference in the community. Ticket information will be available soon.

Read more: In 2021 COVID-19 shut down most Juneteenth celebrations in Volusia County for second year in a row

Daytona Beach's Juneteenth celebration is presented by the Juneteenth Festival Group, Inc. of Daytona Beach.

For more details on the Daytona Beach Juneteenth Family Festival, visit www.juneteenthdaytona.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach Juneteenth festival and parade set for June 15