V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
While the official holiday is Sunday, Jefferson will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday afternoon.
Activities will kick off at 11 a.m. with Miracle Creation Foundation’s 4th Annual Splash Day at the Jefferson Community Center on Haywood Street.
Splash day offers a host of activities for children, and kids at heart, with water based bounce houses, splash pads, water balloon contests and other activities.
Jefferson’s FRESH started sponsoring the city’s Juneteenth Celebration last year as a way to bring the community together in celebration of the city’s history and cultural diversity, according to FRESH founder April Taylor-Johnson.
“This event is going to be amazing for all ages,” Taylor-Johnson said. “We will have music provided by DJ Woo, kickball, bounce houses, corn hole, dominos, spades, giveaways and more. And food! There will be free hot dogs, chips, and drinks for anyone who wants them.”
The afternoon’s activities will kick off with a parade at 3:30pm. The parade will start at the Jefferson High School and proceed down MLK to Watson Street. Then it will follow Watson street to Haywood Street and end at the Community Center.
The Grand Marshal for this year 2022 Juneteenth Parade is Jefferson’s Wilma Smith. Mrs. Smith is a retired educator and first Black teacher to integrate Jefferson ISD.
F.R.E.S.H is a mentoring program that addresses the social, emotional, and cultural needs of the children and young adults age 5-21 in the city of Jefferson and surrounding areas. Members of F.R.E.S.H mentors, advocates, and role models for the youth within the community. Our program focuses on building life skills needed to become future leaders.
Miracle Creation Foundation works with area communities to provide school supplies, entertainment activities and other needs for children in the area. They have hosted splash days, car shows, and school supply drives for the last several years.
Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Tex., to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and they were free.
Taylor-Johnson and Satoria Webb, FRESH VP, said everyone welcome to come, participate and have fun!
Earlier this month the Jefferson Community Center also hosted the 2nd Annual Frogtown Reunion.
The event was geared at bringing the community together, celebrating the accomplishments of it’s residents and those who grew up in Frogtown, and also to take a moment to remember those who made a lasting impact on the community and Jefferson but had passed on.