A free event that invites the community to celebrate and reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth is coming back to Rotary Hill for the fourth year in a row.
The Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration, organized by Naperville Neighbors United, is set for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at 443 Aurora Ave.
Organizers promise an inclusive, family-friendly occasion with food trucks, live music, dancing, kids activities, and community organizations — all to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865.
“It’s important, as we celebrate all of the other federal holidays that make up our collective American history, that we are also celebrate this one,” Saily Joshi, executive director of Naperville Neighbors United, said about Juneteenth. “It’s not only about honoring Black liberation, but it’s really honoring American whole history.”
Environment encourages all to ‘get up and move’
Performances during the event will kick off with singing by Isa Warren, a rising sophomore at Naperville North High School. Local elected officials will share speeches, and the band Soul 2 the Bone will perform a full-length show.
Naperville City Council member Benny White, who founded Naperville Neighbors United in 2018, said the band puts on a great show that’s sure to really engage the crowd. Organizers expect line dancing and spontaneity as people “just get up and move,” Joshi said. “It’s wonderful to see.”
Food trucks selling hot dogs, hamburgers, and funnel cakes will be on site, along with trucks from Harold’s Chicken and Brewster’s Ice Cream. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own picnics and chairs or blankets to enjoy on the lawn.
Local history experts from the Naper Settlement will offer an educational booth with materials about Juneteenth, and Naperville Neighbors United will share Black history information and freebies for children such as bookmarks and buttons.
“Yes, we’re talking about the freedom of African American slaves,” White said, “But this isn’t just African American history — it’s American history.”
Registration required for free Juneteenth celebration
Organizers ask everyone who plans to attend to register online. Tickets are free. White said the event has grown each year, and organizers look forward to welcoming more people so everyone can meet someone new.
Gathering specifically for Juneteenth, which was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, helps educate about the slavery story from the past and look forward to an inclusive future, said Ellen Lanser May, a board member of Naperville Neighbors United.
“We’re celebrating and honoring the past, and I think it also has a really important component about our community of the future and about equality and social justice,” Lanser May said. “It’s a great opportunity to blend those things together.”
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