Sponsors and Vendors sought for 2011 Juneteenth Celebration

2011-01-23T07:22:58Z

Summer is months away but organizers of Solano County’s only free community-wide Juneteenth Celebration are already planning the 23rd annual event scheduled for Saturday, June 18, 2011 from 11-6 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in downtown Vallejo. The celebration was recently named one of the top five community events in 2010 by the Vallejo Times-Herald.

The event theme for the historic observance is “Creating healthy communities through education and empowerment.” Organizers say the celebration will focus on self-development and making informed choices by providing access to a variety of community resources and services that help families live better.

“This event is about celebrating the end of slavery in the United States but there’s more to it than that,” said Juneteenth committee president Angela Jones. “Through partnerships with local health care providers, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, small business owners and some major companies, we’re able to connect families from all walks of life with quality health care services, opportunities for educating our children, and the chance to support the local economy which are important ingredients for a healthy, vibrant and sustainable community.”

The celebration will mark the 23rd year that Vallejo has observed Juneteenth. Historians say Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when the civil Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free. The announcement was delivered two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation which had become official on January 1, 1863. African Americans commemorate Juneteenth with a celebration of family, friends, community and freedom.

The celebration is free and open to the public. Organizers estimated 3,000 visitors at the previous event. However, the committee receives no public funds and is seeking charitable contributions and sponsors to help pay expenses. As part of the festivities, the Committee is soliciting vendors for food, craft and specialty sales, non-profit organizations that can provide free helpful information and services, and a variety of other exhibitors. The event will promote education and literacy through an essay contest for students. There will also be live on stage entertainment. Interested performers should contact the committee on the website for more information. Details including sponsor opportunities and application packets are available on the website at www.vallejojuneteenth.com.