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Juneteenth to add fireworks to celebration

Justin Addison, Editor/Publisher
Posted 4/13/21

The St. Paul United Methodist Church in Fayette is preparing to host its 21st annual Juneteenth celebration. Tim Jackman, the event’s longtime organizer, said this year’s celebration will …

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Juneteenth to add fireworks to celebration

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The St. Paul United Methodist Church in Fayette is preparing to host its 21st annual Juneteenth celebration. Tim Jackman, the event’s longtime organizer, said this year’s celebration will take place June 18-20, with most activities planned for Saturday, June 19.

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated every June to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas where slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation in the aftermath of the American Civil War, 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s event was mostly limited to a motorcade of celebrants that wound its way through town. And while communities are much more open this year, Jackman said because the pandemic is still ongoing the event will not be quite as grand as it has in the past.

Jackman explained to the city council during its meeting on Tuesday, April 6, that a motorcade will once again make its way through town, ending at Paige-Liberty Park but with an added spectacle on Saturday night.

“What we want to do different this year is to have a fireworks display,” he said. “A lot of Juneteenth celebrations throughout the United States are starting to incorporate fireworks. We thought that would be a neat idea.”

Jackman said the fireworks would be consumer-grade and therefore not as large as those fired off by the city on Independence Day. He also said he would be in contact with the fire and police departments to ensure that any necessary emergency procedures are met.

The display will take place at Paige-Liberty Park, which Jackman said is often underutilized. “One way to utilize that park would be to shoot off the fireworks there,” he said. Other activities will take place in the park throughout the day Saturday. “We want people in this community to take part in the Juneteenth celebration in some way.”

The council voted unanimously to allow the fireworks display on June 19 and Mayor Kevin Oeth signed a proclamation endorsing the relevance and importance of the celebration.

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