Arts For Lawrence is planning its third annual Juneteenth festival in celebration of freedom in the United States.
The festival is set for 4 to 9 p.m. June 17 at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus next to the Arts For Lawrence offices and theater. Organizer Lecia Floyd said there will be 48 vendors offering food and merchandise, art and information. There also will be music and storytellers, and plenty of joy.
“It is definitely a celebration of freedom,” Floyd said. “When the last of the slaves were freed.”
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when the last of the enslaved Black Americans were freed in Texas.
Floyd said Juneteenth has recently gained more recognition across the nation.
“In the south, and especially Texas, it’s been celebrated a lot longer than we’re celebrating it here,” she said. “It really is just a celebration of freedom, and everyone finally being free. (Arts For Lawrence’s) spin on it is: This is a celebration of family, history and community. I think it’s really important to know that history, but also celebrate community, which includes everyone.”
Last year’s Juneteenth festival in Lawrence was the first time Floyd celebrated the day.
“We’ve always celebrated July 4, which, I feel is important as well, (but) no one ever really talked about Juneteenth, and talked about (how) on Independence Day, really, not everyone was free,” she said. “This truly celebrates independence for everyone. I think as a community, and even myself as a woman of color, we are still just learning, I think we’re all kind of learning together so that we can share that history and continue to celebrate it.”
Floyd said her mother, a 70-year-old Black woman, didn’t know about Juneteenth until about five years ago.
“So I’m glad organizations like us and, and other organizations, we’re bringing this to light and saying as a community, ‘We see you, and we celebrate you,’” she said.
There are numerous Juneteenth celebrations planned by various schools and organizations in the Indianapolis area. Floyd said that’s why Arts for Lawrence chose to have its festival later in the day. That way, people can attend other events before coming to the festival.
She said the Lawrence event will include performances by Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township elementary, middle and high school students, along with other dance, music and spoken-word artists and groups. Daniel Martin of the improv comedy group Act A Foo will emcee the main stage, and a DJ will spin tunes in between acts.
The performances, in order of appearance, are:
- 4 p.m. – Daniel Martin, emcee
- 4:30 p.m. – The Performing Arts Conservatory
- 5:15 p.m. – Delores Thornton (spoken word)
- 5:45 p.m. – Bashiri Asad (R&B)
- 6:45 p.m. – Iiabada Dance
- 7:30 p.m. – MSD of Lawrence Township school groups
Floyd said there also will be activities hosted by the Fort Benjamin Harrison YMCA, and booths offering health information from Community Health Network and Eskenazi Health. A mobile vaccine clinic hosted by Marion County Health Department will be there, she said, and the Department of Child Services will offer information about resources for families.
Some of the vendors are storytellers, Floyd said, and will host group activities and share stories of Black history.
“Black history is history,” Floyd said. “And we all should celebrate history in general. Especially something as important as independence and freedom.”
For the second consecutive year, Act A Foo improv group will perform for the “after party” in the Arts For Lawrence theater. That ticketed event is for adults and involves audience participation. Floyd said last year’s performance was capped at 100 audience members because of COVID-19 restrictions, but this year they can fill the theater. Tickets can be purchased for $20 at artsforlawrence.org.
What’s a festival without booths?
The third annual Arts for Lawrence Juneteenth celebration will have close to 50 vendors on site. Booth vendors will be:
- Arts for Lawrence
- Beloved Elderberry & More
- LLC Cafe
- City of Lawrence
- Community Health
- Department of Child Services
- Diluted Mine Arts
- Divas Eyewearz LLC
- Divine Hands By J
- Eskanazi Health
- Fancy N Fleek LLC
- Favor Care Organics
- FC Tucker
- Fort Ben YMCA
- Four Thirteen Design
- LLC GlazzGalore
- G+T Collection
- Heartland Film
- I Am Not Bulletproof
- Indiana Department of Health
- Jokers House Creates
- KaliBHookin
- Kayell Style Boutique
- Lipgloss by Zoey
- Love That
- Relationship MSDLT
- MSDLT Bus
- Natural Blend Essentials
- Picassoul
- Pretty Lips by Sonya LLC
- Qoncious Qreations LLC
- Queen Jolie
- Simply Sarah Marley
- T’s Tease
- The Performing Arts Conservatory
- Tijani Treats Afrocentric Boutique
- Truessence Designs
- Truu Confidence
- Uniquely You by Tami Harris LLC
- Vik VarWoo
- Yabros Custom
Food vendors will be:
- Antojitos Puebla
- Chef TLC (the foodbus)
- Chooo Chicken Fish Vegan and More
- Da Blue Lagoon
- EnVara
- Eve’s Garden Deli
- Off the Hook Fish and More
- YUMMY!
