The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI) will host its annual Juneteenth Festival Saturday, June 20, from noon to 6 p.m. at its recently renovated building at 55 12th Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids.
The free event will feature live music and performances, food and merchandise vendors, local nonprofit and business organizations, and family-friendly activities.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, Texas, bringing freedom to enslaved people who had not yet learned of their emancipation. Congress designated it a federal holiday in 2021.
This year’s festival will include performances by DJ Commando, MC Anthony Betters Jr., Rowland Gibson, Renee Bryant-Moore, Never Dream Less, Doris Agyemeng Afro-Fit, and the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Male Chorus. Nearly 60 vendors — including local artists, nonprofits, social justice organizations and food trucks — will be in attendance, surpassing previous years.
Other activities include a talent show, free face painting by Regan’s Face Painting, an inflatable obstacle course, chalk drawing, lawn games, educational activities, and free access to the museum’s exhibits.
The festival is sponsored by GreatAmerica, Cargill, Alliant Energy, the City of Cedar Rapids, Corda Credit Union, Hawkeye Area Labor Council AFL-CIO and Local Union Community Charities, Holmes Murphy, ITC, Veridian Credit Union, GreenState Credit Union, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, First Interstate Bank, Phillip and Jo Lavera Jones, and KCRG-TV9.
The African American Museum of Iowa is a statewide museum dedicated to preserving, exhibiting and teaching Iowa’s African American history. The museum serves more than 30,000 people annually through tours, traveling exhibits, research services, and education programs.
