CULTURE // Juneteenth
Juneteenth in da rock
by Sydney Ambrus - 06.20.2023
photo by Kev Moye
This past weekend was full of celebrations and fellowship as people from all over the state of Arkansas came together for “Juneteenth in Da Rock.” This year marked the 14th annual festival held by the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
Mosaic Templars’ festivities for Juneteenth started on Thursday, June 15th, with the raising of the Juneteenth flag and the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” On Saturday morning, the Juneteenth 5K Run and Walk kicked off the rest of the festivities. The race route went through some of Little Rock’s African American landmarks and neighborhoods.
After the race, the Juneteenth in Da Rock Street festival began at noon. The festival stretched across Little Rock’s famous 9th Street with over 100 vendors and food trucks. Some of which included The Breezy Scoop, Kingdom Made Treats, Millie’s Fish n Shrimp, and Aretha’s Beverages, who created the official drink for the festival, which was a Strawberry Basil Lemonade. There was also live music played throughout the festival from an array of artists, including gospel sensation Nakitta Clegg-Foxx and Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Myá.
The street festival concluded a weekend of health & wellness, education, entertainment, community, and celebration of Black culture!
Mosaic Templars’ festivities for Juneteenth started on Thursday, June 15th, with the raising of the Juneteenth flag and the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” On Saturday morning, the Juneteenth 5K Run and Walk kicked off the rest of the festivities. The race route went through some of Little Rock’s African American landmarks and neighborhoods.
After the race, the Juneteenth in Da Rock Street festival began at noon. The festival stretched across Little Rock’s famous 9th Street with over 100 vendors and food trucks. Some of which included The Breezy Scoop, Kingdom Made Treats, Millie’s Fish n Shrimp, and Aretha’s Beverages, who created the official drink for the festival, which was a Strawberry Basil Lemonade. There was also live music played throughout the festival from an array of artists, including gospel sensation Nakitta Clegg-Foxx and Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Myá.
The street festival concluded a weekend of health & wellness, education, entertainment, community, and celebration of Black culture!
