Juneteenth festival organizers looking for groups to participate

Rob Creenan, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·1 min read

May 22—Organizers for Niagara Falls' Juneteenth festival are looking for any Niagara County groups and organizations that would like to participate in the June 16 event.

"We want to make it a fun event for the community," said festival chair Edyth Crawford, of Niagara Storm Cheer and Dance.

Organizers are looking for baseball teams, football organizations, dance groups, antique car groups or just about anyone willing to take part in a parade.

This year's festival will be on June 16, starting with the parade at 11 a.m. running along Pine Avenue from the Niagara Falls City Market to the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center. There, Juneteenth festivities will take place from noon to 8 p.m. featuring live music, spoken word poets, dance groups, bounce houses and other activities.

This will be the second year for the festival, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States in 1865. The day was named a national holiday in 2021.

"They were having a community day at the NACC, and my daughter told me about how we don't celebrate Juneteenth very much," Crawford said, who then talked to NACC staff about starting the festival last year.

Around 1,000 people came out for the first event, which had similar activities offered except for the parade.

Participants will be accepted up until the week before the event.

Those interested in participating can either reach out to Crawford at 716-525-3802, through the Niagara Storm Facebook page, or through the NACC.