Door County to hold its first Juneteenth celebration

GREEN BAY, WI—(WGBW)—Green Bay has had one for six years, and now Door County is getting on board. Door County’s Inaugural Juneteenth Gathering will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, June 21st at Sturgeon Bay’s Martin Park.

The free event welcomes all residents and visitors to celebrate Juneteenth’s history, culture, and significance. There will be no food vendors at the event, but people are encouraged to bring meals and share with family and friends. 

Let’s Go Door County’s Facebook page posted about the event with Damion Howard, one of its organizers.

Juneteenth commemorates the delayed freedom of enslaved African Americans in 1865. 

It was on June 19th, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 that slaves in Galveston, Texas, heard from a Union General that they were freed. 

Many in the African-American community consider Juneteenth their “Independence Day.” Texas made it an official state holiday in 1980. In 2021, the Biden Administration declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. 

We All Rise African American Resource Center held Green Bay’s Juneteenth celebration on June 14th.