The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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Oak Park ready to celebrate Juneteenth

June 6, 2022 – The entire community is invited to join in Oak Park’s celebration of Juneteenth, an occasion considered by many as the true anniversary of emancipation in the United States.

The festivities begin with a flag-raising ceremony on Saturday, June 11 and continue with a parade and community cookout on Sunday, June 19. The events are being organized by community members and co-sponsored by the Village.

The flag-raising ceremony will be held at noon on Saturday, June 11 in the courtyard at Village Hall, 123 Madison St.

The ceremony will include speeches about the history of Juneteenth and live music. For those unable to attend in-person, the ceremony will be streamed live and available for viewing on demand - click here to watch.

The celebration continues with a parade and community cookout on Sunday, June 19.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. near Jackson Boulevard and march north on Ridgeland Avenue to Augusta Street, with a community cookout to follow at 1 p.m. at Taylor Park, 400 Division St.

Community groups and organizations are invited to participate in the parade. Click here to register to participate in the parade.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a U.S. Army general read orders in Galveston, Texas that all previously enslaved people were free.

Juneteenth has long been recognized as an important day among many Oak Parkers, and the Village Board made it official in 2020 when it voted unanimously to support a proclamation to formally observe the holiday every June 19.

Juneteenth has since been recognized as both a state and federal holiday.

For more information about Oak Park’s Juneteenth celebration, visit www.oak-park.us/juneteenth.