SPOKANE, Wash. – Juneteenth celebrates the anniversary of the day 160 years ago when previously enslaved people in Texas were told that they were finally free. Today, events all over Spokane celebrate the holiday with food, music, conversation and more.
City of Spokane posted a list of Juneteenth celebrations, which included some of the following.
The Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition’s Juneteenth Celebration will be held today from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Grant Park. According to their website, the event is meant to honor the history and significance of Juneteenth. The event is designed for all ages and will include food, music and entertainment.
Spokane NAACP is hosting a Juneteenth Fireside Chat with special guest Cliff Avril, the Seahawks Super Bowl champion and philanthropist. The event will be held in the Gonzaga Hemmingson Ballroom from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It will feature music from Alethea, and the poster for the event invites all ages to join for an evening of community, conversation, food and more.
The Spokane Indians are celebrating the life and legacy of Spokane civil rights activist and champion boxer Carl Maxey at their King Carl Night. Spokane Indians players will be wearing specialty King Carl jerseys that will be auctioned off to benefit the Sandy Williams fund. Tonight’s game starts at 6:35 p.m. at the Avista Stadium and is against the Everett AquaSox.
Other events provide a chance to celebrate Juneteenth in the following days.
The Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition is also advertising The Pillar Awards, which is a free event on June 20 at The Fox from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The evite for the event describes it as a “Black Carpeted event” that aims to celebrate those who help uplift the African American community in Spokane.
The Soul Food Fest & Resource Fair, which will take place on June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MLK Center, will provide further celebration will soul food and information about local resources. The poster advertised on the Carl Maxey Center website says that the event will include local speakers, food trucks, entertainment, business networking and a resource fair and market.
The Art of Us – A Juneteenth Celebration, a free event on June 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 811 West 2nd Avenue, will have live music, local art, dancing, refreshments and music by DJ BayTone. The evite for the event invites people to join for “a Juneteenth celebration honors the joy, community, and artistic expression of Black culture.”
The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center is also hosting a Juneteenth Celebration on June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 500 South Stone Street. The event will include live music, a raffle, food and vendors according to information posted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on Facebook.
