Big Juneteenth Celebration Planned In West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford's 2023 Juneteenth events Saturday promise a mix of fun festivities along with somber reminders of the holiday itself.

Most events take place Saturday at Blue Back Square, West Hartford's large destination shopping and entertainment area located at 60 Memorial Road.

Collectively, the events are called the "2023 West Hartford CommUnity Juneteenth Celebration," with the "U" capitalized to promote "unity."

It starts on Saturday, June 17, at 10:30 a.m. for the annual "Witness Stones Installation Ceremony," a poignant program commemorating individuals in West Hartford who were enslaved prior to Juneteenth's announcement of the end of slavery.

The "Witness Stones" are markers to be placed in town honoring known slaves from West Hartford.

Then at 11 a.m. at Blue Back Square, the fun will begin with all sorts of family-friendly activities, games and programs with a Juneteenth theme, with more performers scattered throughout the festival.

This event is planned for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to organizers.

The nation's newest federal holiday, Juneteenth has been a special day for many generations, commemorating the day on June 19, 1865, after the end of the Civil War, when union troops arrived in Texas and announced the end of slavery to enslaved Blacks there.

President Joe Biden signed the legislation making Juneteenth — which is Monday, June 19 — a federal holiday in June 2021.

West Hartford organizers, a mixture of town, civic and social groups, have set up a comprehensive FaceBook page that includes all sorts of information about Saturday's activities.

For more information, click on the West Hartford CommUnity Juneteenth Celebration Facebook page at this link.

For more information on the event, click on this link.

For more information on Blue Back Square, click on this link.