Juneteenth celebrations are making a comeback in Galesburg.
Co-Chairman Andy Bonis says it hasn’t been celebrated for the last few years, but he wanted to make it an event that is celebrated annually.
Juneteenth is a celebration of when the last slaves were set free in Galvaston, Texas on June 19th, 1865.
This will mark the 150th year of celebration, which Bonis says is occurring nationwide, not just in Illinois.
Bonis tells WGIL that they strived to make it a community-wide event.
“Our goal of course was to have the event, but we wanted to make sure it was a community wide event,” says Bonis. “We’ve had different groups working with us, we’ve had individuals, we’ve had churches, we have a lot of businesses working with us, so it’s not just a couple of people–it’s a community as a whole working together to pull this off.”
The celebration starts today with “Ghosts of Mississippi” playing at the Orpheum Theatre, as well as a documentary.
Friday and Saturday have a variety of events planned such as the 9 mile Underground Railroad Bike Ride, and the Boys and Girls Club block party.
Throughout the weekend, many local restaurants will be serving “soul food” dishes that residents can vote on.
