WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The 10th Annual Watertown Juneteenth celebration is coming up Saturday at Jefferson Community College.
Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the U.S. Celebrated in America since 1865, Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021.
Free and open to the public, the Watertown festival takes place from noon to 5 p.m. and features food, art, music, and local vendors.
This year, there’s an emphasis on historical education.
Guest speaker Professor James Small will give a history lesson on African culture before the slave trade.
“Just learning to understand history and learning to understand African American culture and how it manifested and expressed itself in all aspects of American history,” said Small.
On Monday, the Pan-African flag will be raised in front of Watertown City Hall in honor of Juneteenth at 12:30 p.m.
Potsdam is also holding a Juneteenth event. It’s on Sunday at Ives Park from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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