Stevens Point community unites for 3rd annual Juneteenth celebration

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) - For event organizers with Stevens Point’s Juneteenth celebration, they believe the time to celebrate is overdue.

“This has been a time coming,” said Lance Lewis. “This is the third year and there’s a lot of activists in town who want to promote history that not too many places want to accept history. So we’re just here to accept history as it is.”

Saturday’s celebration consisted of live music, food, shop vendors, and much more. All with a common goal of becoming more present in time.

“They can just be,” says Kiba Freeman, artist/event organizer. “Just be themselves, hanging out with people that they normally don’t hang out with, great food around, and just making sure that we can be.”

Above all, the Juneteenth celebration strives to educate and create new experiences.

“It seems simple, but just being able to exist in Stevens Point as a minority is a thing in itself,” says Freeman. “But being able to do that and break bread with other folks that they didn’t even know was in the area until an event like this happened, words can’t describe it, it’s wonderful.”

While it’s a great step to help celebrate the holiday, it’s just as important to leave wanting to learn more.

“I just want people to be curious,” says Lewis. “To go find out, go to the history book, or I guess now Google It and see what the Juneteenth Celebration is all about.”

Lewis says that they’re hoping the event grows so much that the city throws a parade for the holiday in coming years. To learn more, click here.

Copyright 2023 WSAW. All rights reserved.