Juneteenth Music Festival is Back on the Streets and Kicking off the 2021 Holiday with Grammy Award-Winning R&B group 112
Adra Williams
Celebrating its 10th year as a music festival and the city’s first in-person festival since the pandemic, Denver’s Juneteenth Music Festival is back and on the streets! In partnership with Live Nation, the anniversary celebration jumpstarts with The Juneteenth R&B Summer Kick Off on June 18 featuring double Platinum Bad Boy recording artists 112 at The Levitt Pavilion at Ruby Hill Park. Denver’s newest amphitheater comes to life with classic ‘90s and 2000s hits like “Only You”, “Come See Me” and “Peaches and Cream”. This family friendly event boasts a grassy knoll perfect for lounging, dancing, singing and reminiscing. Cocktails and beverages will be on offer alongside some of the city’s best food trucks. Guests are encouraged to take full advantage of Levitt’s beautiful grounds with picnic set-ups, lawn chairs, blankets etc. and remember to stay safe and socially distant. Space is first come first serve. Tickets go on sale Friday May 21 at 10:00am. The Juneteenth R&B Summer Kick Off feat. 112 jump starts the iconic Juneteenth weekend street festival in Denver’s historic Five Points district.
Denver’s Juneteenth Music Festival continues to be one of the largest in the country for decades and this year is no different. The addition of Juneteenth R&B Summer Kick Off and other new festival elements mark Juneteenth Music Festival’s expansion beyond its original Welton street footprint and is a testament to a wider acceptance of the disparities that the recognition of Juneteenth represents, partially owing to the social justice movements of 2020. Thanks to sponsors like Verizon, Amazon, Molson Coors, Cheba Hut, LivWell and Chevron, the 2021 Juneteenth Music Festival boasts multiple activations to commemorate the day that, indeed, all enslaved peoples in the United States were freed. Additionally, 2021 marks the first year that Juneteenth is a commemorative holiday in the city of Denver, Colorado. There are three ways to support the 2021 Juneteenth Music Festival; Join, Donate, Sign.
Join us at the 2021 Juneteenth Music Festival:
June 15
Juneteenth Eats at Cheba Hut: Patrons can support the Juneteenth Music Festival by grabbing lunch and/or dinner at any of the 14 Colorado Cheba Hut locations for Juneteenth Eats; a day of specials, swag and onsite activations at select locations. A portion of the proceeds from the entire day’s onsite and delivery sales will go towards funding Juneteenth Music Festival’s community programs for entrepreneurs and artists.
June 18
Juneteenth Music Festival Livestream : In partnership with Denver Community Media, the six -hour live broadcast features not only an array of entertainment with special guests that preview the highlights of the upcoming weekend Welton Street festival but also the annual Dream Big Awards presented by Verizon. Starting at 2:00 pm, the program can be viewed via social media platforms and on Denver Community Media channels Comcast 56 & 881HD .
Juneteenth R&B Summer Kick Off featuring 112: This “cookout” style, family friendly event at Levitt Pavilion will be an evening of soulful sounds from local talent and headliner, 112. Doors open at 5:30 pm and guests are encouraged to show up early, equipped with blankets and lawn chairs to comfortably enjoy the grounds, take in the sunset and dance well into the evening.
When: 5:30 pm -10:00 pm
Where: Levitt Pavilion at Ruby Park
June 19-20
Annual Juneteenth Parade: Traditionally, the Juneteenth parade which represents the flooding of the streets with newly freed slaves, kicks off the street festival. Thousands line the streets in celebration as a parade of performers and community organizations take over 26th street with a strolling party.
Juneteenth Street Festival at Welton Plaza: This year, Denver’s historic Juneteenth street festival boasts 10 city blocks of artisan merchants, food vendors and interactive activities flanked by performance stages and the Juneteenth Kid’s Zone presented by Janus Henderson Investors; instilling financial intelligence at an early age and providing the ultimate fun and educational experience.
To the Beat of the Drum; Denver Black Pride at Charles Cousins Plaza: This famed plaza is named after the late Denverite; Charles Cousins. Cousins was a highly regarded entrepreneur and real estate mogul known for leading the charge in affordable housing for Denver’s Black Community. Cousins passed away in 2009 at the age of 91. In Partnership with The Center on Colfax, producer of Denver’s Black Pride Festival, JMF will activate this space with the celebratory sounds of the diaspora, hosting live musicians and DJ sets.
Five Points of Culture at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Studio: Denver’s Historic Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has been a cultural epicenter for the arts for over 50 years, displaying exemplary community standing as a 501c3 and providing enriching experiences and curriculum for the community. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance will be the home for educational panels and roundtables as well as the Juneteenth Museum highlighting seven decades of the iconic Five Points celebration.
Festival details can be found at www.juneteenthmusicfestival.com and by following Juneteenth Music Festival on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @JuneteenthMusicFestival and shop the official Juneteenth Marketplace at www.ShopBlack.org
Donate to JMF Corporation and drive opportunities for Denver’s BIPOC community of entrepreneurs and artists by visiting www.juneteenthmusicfestival.com/donate
JMF Corp is still working diligently to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Sign our petition here.
About Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
About JMF Corporation
JMF Corporation is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate freedom through community engagement by focusing on the historical significance of Juneteenth. JMF Corporation utilizes its annual music event to promote inclusivity, educational and economic empowerment and support of the humanities
This article was a press release from Adra Williams, Adra@Otimwilliams.com, 202-286-3442