The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will host the inaugural Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival from 3-10 p.m. June 14 in Pine Bluff’s downtown Delta Rhythm and Bayous Cultural District at Third Avenue and Main Street.
The festival, sponsored by the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, is free and open to the public, according to a news release.
To kick off the Juneteenth weekend, the evening long festival will feature Blues Hall of Famer Latimore along with Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis, Ms. Zeno The Mojo Queen, and local musicians. There will also be a farmers market and food tastings by the ACF Arkansas Delta Chefs Association, art activities for youth and art exhibits by the UAPB Art Department, vendor booths, and giveaways. Food trucks will also be present selling food and beverages.
“For more than 150 years, UAPB has been on the forefront of creating educational and career opportunities, including in the arts, for African Americans,” said UAPB Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander. “As we commemorate Juneteenth, we celebrate all of our faculty, students and staff, many of whom went on to fundamentally impact and shape the arts in Arkansas and nationwide.”
Juneteenth, short for June 19th, commemorates the day enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned of their freedom, two and a half years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Juneteenth occurred only seven years before the founding of Branch Normal College, now UAPB.
“The Juneteenth in the Bluff festival celebrates freedom and triumph and embraces the region’s rich arts and culture legacy,” said UAPB Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement George Cotton. “We are thrilled about bringing this event to our community and look forward to showcasing the amazing talent that will be on display.”
For more information about Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival or to participate as a vendor, contact Jaimie D. Wright at (870) 955-4830 or wrightjd@uapb.edu.