Grand Rapids’ largest Juneteenth event ready for new home!
Grand Rapids’ largest Juneteenth event ready for new home!
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Wednesday commemorates Juneteenth, a federal holiday celebrating June 19, 1865, when Texas slaves first learned of their freedom over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. This day officially signifies the end of slavery in America.
Throughout the past week, celebrations have been taking place throughout West Michigan, the largest of which is scheduled to be in downtown Grand Rapids.
The fourth annual Juneteenth Jam, run by nonprofit Justice 4 All, will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Calder Plaza, after last year’s was held at Rosa Parks Circle.
“You can only fit so many vendors in that circular area without making it a little too cramped for people to enjoy the actual event,” said Julius Rogers, who founded the nonprofit and is the event’s head organizer. “There was, obviously, more interest in the event as it was growing. I didn’t really want to leave our other vendor because I try to get in as many as I can, but also there are limitations to it.”
When the jam started in 2021, it had around 300 attendees and just 10 vendors. This year, about 2,000 people are expected to come check out the 50-plus vendors.
Vendors usually pay an entry fee to reserve a slot at such an event, but Rogers wanted to make it as accessible as possible — in this case, for Black-owned vendors.
“Not only are a lot of these businesses startups or people who just kind of get their ideas, products and services out to people, but people don’t have that type of capital to be spending on a ‘maybe,’ like at an event,” he explained.
Vendors will offer a variety of goods including food, apparel, accessories and décor, as well as entertainment, resources, services and information from nonprofit organizations. A highlight of the entertainment lineup is a breakdancing contest, which features a $1,000 grand prize for the winner.
Admission is free. Ice cold bottled water will also be handed out for attendees to beat the heat.
Rogers says anyone and everyone are welcome.
“I really do hope that as people come out, they understand that my purpose of creating the event is to display it as a day of celebration, a day of uplift of the Black in general, and to show that we are not a monolith,” he added. “It is not just one sect of individuals that represent the entirety of the community.”
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