JUNETEENTH EVENT S

Here’s Growing Community Media most complete list of Juneteenth celebrations across the Greater West Side. If missed your event this year tell us at Park.com’s Pitch Us a Story feature.

Austin

Front Porch Art Center celebration

The celebration will be held at Columbus Park. 500 S. Central Ave., on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This fun, family-friendly event will feature music, food, dancing and a Juneteenth Art Exhibit, along with family art-making activities.

Trunk par ty for college-bound seniors

Graduating, college-bound seniors only. Must bring college acceptance letter. Party will be held at 304 N. Parkside Ave. on J une 19, noon to 5 p.m.

Broadvie W

3rd Annual Festival of Freedom

Broadview is holding its 3rd annual Juneteenth celebration all weekend at Schroeder Park, 2600 S. 13th Ave. It will kick o on the evening of June 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the raising of the Juneteenth ag, followed by a community meetand-greet. The main event will take place on June 17 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on June 18 from noon to 9 p.m. The festival will feature music, food and local vendors, as well as cultural exhibits chronicling Black history and struggles. The festivities will wrap up with a Sunday reworks show.

EAST GARFIELD PARK Music and Culture Celebration

Now in its fourth year, the annual Music and Culture Celebration will be held at 345 Ar t Galler y, 345 N. Kedzie Ave., on June 18 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The celebration will feature local music acts, performance by poet Poetry Soulchild, wine curated by P. Michelle, the Music in My Soul art exhibit and local vendors. $10 cover, all proceeds go to the ar t center

Oa K Park

Juneteenth Father ’s Day Festival

Organized by Chicago’s Welcome to Fatherhood and Oak Park ’s King’s Kidz [sic] Academy, the par ty will take place in Oak Park at 847 Madison St. on June 17 from 11 a.m. It will feature food and drinks, games for kids and adults and vendor tables.

Juneteenth parade and cookout

tions, and businesses. Festivities star t on June 16 at Gar eld Park Gold Dome, 100 N. Central Park, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for an invite- only Military Honors ceremony to honor veterans. Community members can nominate veterans to receive a special award. On June 17 and June 18, join cultural activities for families, workshops, live music and performances at Gar eld Park Music Cour t Circle from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Sunday, there will be a Father ’s Day Grill O to celebrate Father ’s Day.

Forest Park

Liberated: A Juneteenth Celebration

I Am Black Ar t organization will be at Forest Park Public Librar y’s Austin room, 7555 Jackson Blvd., on June 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature a writing circle, children’s books, arts and crafts, and re ec tion/open mic segment towards the end of the program. Oak Park ’s Chicago Chicken and Wa es will provide food, and there will be local vendors.

Hillside

Juneteenth & Father ’s Day Festival

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is holding his annual Juneteenth and Father ’s Day Festi-

May Wood

Juneteenth celebration and honorary street designation

Join the honorary street designation ceremony in honor of the late Mrs. Nor thica Hillery Stone, former CEO of the nonpro t Operation Uplift, on June 17, at 1 p.m., followed by a family-friendly Juneteenth celebration. The ceremony is taking place at Operation Uplift, at the intersection of S. 5th Ave. and St. Charles Road. The annual Juneteenth celebration features food, music and activities for all ages.

North Lawndale

Celebrate Juneteenth with UCAN

Held at UCAN campus, 3605 W. Filmore St., on June 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., this year ’s celebration will feature vendors from the Black Wall Street on Roosevelt summer market, as well as performers, games, and food.

Juneteenth Freedom Party

Organized by Light Up Lawndale and sponsored by the Chicago Histor y Museum, the par ty will take place on June 19 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Douglass Park. The family-friendly celebration will feature music, fun and activities.

oin the Village of Oak Park in celebrating Juneteenth with a ceremonial ag raising, parade and community ookout. Come to the courtyard of Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St., at 6 p.m., June 14, for the ag raising. he celebration continues at 11 a.m., June 18 with the annual parade, which steps o from Longfellow Park near Jackson Boulevard and then on to Ridgeland Avenue to Augusta Street. Following the parade, stop by the cookout at 5 p.m. in Taylor Park, 400 Division St.

River Forest

Flag raising ceremony

River Forest marked Juneteenth with a ag raising ceremony on June 12. River Forest Public Librar y, 735 Lathrop Ave. Check out the Juneteenth traveling museum inside the librar y.

Virtual

A Conversation on Health Equity with Dr. Ngozi Ezike

United Way of Chicago is holding a vir tual conversation with Dr. Ngozi Ezike on June 19 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Ezike is the rst Black woman president and CEO of Sinai Chicago hospital system and immediate past director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, where she helped the entire state navigate COVID-19. Ezike will re ect on her experiences and o er paths towards greater health equity for all Chicago neighborhoods. Visit https://liveunitedchicago. org/ to register for login information.