Jam-packed schedule released for Juneteenth celebration in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Organizers of the annual Juneteenth celebration in Pittsburgh are out with their jam-packed schedule for the upcoming holiday.
Stop the Violence Pittsburgh, which organizes the celebration in the city, was awarded money from the state on Monday to help expand the event.
The celebrations will commence with the Stop the Violence Black-Tie Honors Gala, which will honor Pittsburgh media pioneers both past and present. The event will include a VIP reception dinner with a performance by the Bill Henry Band. Celebrity host Pooch Hall, who played Derwin on the hit series "The Game."
This is one of the major fundraisers for the Pittsburgh Juneteenth celebration, and it's happening on June 5. But things really kick off the following week.
"On June 11 and 12, Juneteenth Youth Fest and African American Heritage Day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily," Poise Foundation CEO Mark Lewis said. "This event includes dek hockey, a flag football tournament, PlayStation Gaming Youth Fun Zone, Major League Baseball Showcase, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, and speakers, vendors and entertainment all at Mellon Park."
The official Juneteenth celebration will be happening on June 17-19 at Point State Park and Market Square from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
"The parade is going to start on Saturday, June 18, at Freedom Corner. It goes down 5th Avenue and onto the Point. And after the parade, we're going to have a voting rights forum," said William Marshall, founder of STVP.
The list of national artists who will be performing that weekend includes R&B group Klymaxx, Rose Royce and DJ Spinderella.
Stop the Violence Pittsburgh has been hosting free Juneteenth events since 2013, all celebrating the passage of the 13th Amendment, which marks the end of slavery for African Americans.