GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids leaders voted Tuesday to make Juneteenth Freedom Festival Dundunba a city sponsored event.
Juneteenth is the annual celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 is recognized as the end of slavery, but the holiday commemorating the freedom of African Americans was recognized only after the last slaves were told about the order more than two years later.
City sponsorship allows the City Manager to waive fees for city services during the event.
Juneteenth is recognized as a holiday in 46 states, including Michigan, and has been celebrated in Grand Rapids since the early 1990s. The annual event has been held at Dickinson park the last few years.
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