Juneteenth Celebration Event In Bloomfield: History, Entertainment

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Township of Bloomfield will hold a "Juneteenth Celebration Event" on Saturday, June 18.

Juneteenth, which is short for June 19th, is a 155-year-old holiday that celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States. Read More: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday

Juneteenth is now also a state holiday. In September 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that designates the third Friday in June as a state and public holiday.

Bloomfield's 2022 celebration will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Glenwood Avenue between Washington Street and Lackawanna Avenue in Bloomfield. The celebration will spotlight Black-owned businesses, and there will be an inspiration service at 10 a.m. to kick off the event.

According to a township advisory:

"The Township of Bloomfield will be celebrating Juneteenth with history and family fun, including live entertainment, with hair stylists paying homage to the legendary Madam CJ Walker in The Giveback Hair Show, an African dance instruction, and two free vacation giveaways to the Dominican Republic & Mexico. There will be an array of kid-friendly activities including a bouncy house, jumbo size games, face painting, storytelling from the Bloomfield Public Library, and free popcorn and snow-cones for the first 100 children to arrive at the celebration. Free parking will be available in the Conger St. Parking Lot and the Public Parking Lot above Food Town."

“This celebration will be a fantastic opportunity to honor the diversity of Bloomfield and to support our local Black-owned businesses,” Mayor Michael Venezia said.

“The pursuit of freedom and equality is ongoing, but it is important to celebrate freedom and the journey to fulfill America’s promise,” Venezia said. “I want to thank the groups and community leaders responsible for making this celebration possible.”

“I am proud of the work that we have done to bring our township together for this incredible event commemorating the Juneteenth holiday,” Councilwoman Sarah Cruz agreed. “Bloomfield is a diverse community with a significant Black and Brown population. I am looking forward to joining with the entire community to celebrate this important event in American history.”

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