Don't Miss: Peekskill's Annual Juneteenth Parade And Festival

PEEKSKILL, NY — Peekskill's annual Juneteenth parade and celebration is Saturday — and the theme this year is "A New Day Dawns."

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It is the day, June 19, 1865 when the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all slaves were now free. (This event occurred more than two and a half years after the date of January 1, 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation had become official.)

Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day”, is a holiday created by Black people in the United States to honor, and celebrate African American ancestry, history, achievements, and struggles.

"Nothing gets parade-goers stamping their feet like drumline bands," organizers said, and Peekskill’s parade features three: X-Factor, Brooklyn Express and the Warrior Drum & Bugle Corps.

The parade will also feature Peekskill’s own fabulous Middle/High School band.

The Grand Marshals are:

• Ms. Sandra Blackwell, Editor/Publisher, The Westchester County Press
• Ken Jenkins, Deputy County Executive, Westchester County
• André Rainey, Mayor, City of Peekskill
• Delvin Smythe, Sergeant Major, U.S. Marine Corps. (Ret.)

The parade will begin at 2 p.m. starting at the corner of Park and Broad streets, then turning left on Main Street, left on Division Street and Right on South Street. The reviewing stand will be on South Street between Union Avenue and Depew Street.

The Celebration at Peekskill’s Riverfront Green begins at 4 p.m. The celebration will feature local talent from 4 -6 p.m., followed by headliner “BASE CAMP” who will perform until the celebration ends at 8 p.m.

Celebration goers can feast on culinary delights from G & H Caribbean Restaurant; McCants Mini Cheesecake Cafe; Chef El-Amin; and Seafood With Style.

There will also be craft vendors: A Quiet Place With A Taste of Glass; Nickie's Naturals; Knee Grow 67; Taylor Made For You; Sharon Lavonne Products, and The Peekskill NAACP. Many non-profit and informational organizations will also be participating.

PHOTOS from the 2017 Juneteenth parade and celebration/ Ocean Morisset