Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery. Local events this weekend will honor the holiday 

Juneteenth, the nationally-celebrated holiday that remembers the end of slavery in the U.S., is this Friday.

The holiday marks the moment in 1865 when the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas, and freed African Americans that were still enslaved there. The abolition of slavery had been decreed a full two-and-a-half years earlier.

A push for the day to become a national holiday continues to gain steam. This week, New York and Virginia were the latest that moved to adopt it as an official state holiday.

Several local events will help Manatee and Sarasota counties celebrate the holiday this weekend.

Juneteenth festival

A street festival that promises “a day of empowerment, encouragement, enlightenment and fun” will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday afternoon in Sarasota.

It will feature vendors, food and live music; local reggae act Jah Movement and DJ Big Dawg are scheduled to perform.

“Now more than ever, it is important for us to come together as a people, to celebrate and honor the ancestors who had to endure one of history’s greatest atrocities and to move forward as a collective bound together In unity, love, and togetherness,” organizers say.

Details: 1 p.m. Saturday. 1919 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Way, Sarasota.

Info: facebook.com/events/2565085697078355.

Newtown street renaming

Learn My History Foundation, a local non-profit with a focus on youth mentorship and education, will hold a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday in the historic community of Newtown in Sarasota.

The event will celebrate the renaming of Washington Court to Veronica H Allen Place. Allen was a dedicated Sarasota Police Department volunteer, according to the foundation, who assisted residents, supported local youth organizations and “helped people to live free of drugs and alcohol.”

The celebration will also include film productions and a dedication to George Floyd.

Those who attend are encouraged to wear masks and bring lawn chairs.

Details: 4 p.m. Saturday. Fredd “Glossie” Atkins Park, 2431 Veronica H Allen Place (formerly Washington Court), Sarasota.

Info: learnmyhistory.org.

Know of another local Juneteenth event? Send an email to rballogg@bradenton.com to have it added.

This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 9:53 AM.