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Juneteenth Lehigh Valley is launching their third year of Juneteenth festivities throughout the Lehigh Valley. We began in 2021 with a one-day festival at Arts Quest in Bethlehem, but this year they have expanded the vision to present a week-long celebration with flag raising ceremonies, Juneteenth Dining Experience, Black Author’s program, Black Hair/Beauty/Fashion Expo, Juneteenth Day with the Iron Pigs, our signature music festival, and ending the week with a Juneteenth Parade.
Juneteenth Lehigh Valley is supported by AARP Pennsylvania, the Air Products Foundation, PBS39/91.3 WLVR, PPL, ADP Processing, B. Braun, Olympus, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), Lehigh University, Moravian University, Nazareth Music Center, Crayola, LLC, Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce (African American Council), West Ward Community Initiative, and Kaplan’s Awnings. This event brings together volunteers from Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.
The “Juneteenth Week” begins with flag raising ceremonies in all three cities (Allentown @ 1:00 p.m. City Hall Plaza, Bethlehem @ 3:00 p.m. City Hall Plaza, and Easton @ 5:00 p.m. Center Square– followed by a Gospel Concert. To highlight the foods of Juneteenth, JLV will host a Juneteenth Dining Experience at the Bayou Restaurant in Bethlehem and Easton. Patrons will taste the foods eaten at the Juneteenth celebrations in the 1800’s and 1900’s with a Louisiana twist and learn the significance of each menu item all while enjoying music by the GT3 Jazz band.
The week continues with a focus on Black literacy. JLV, with the support of the Cops and Kids reading programs of Bethlehem and Easton, will feature Black authored books for children. The Northampton Community College Fowler Campus, 511 E 3rd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015, will present a storytelling hour (seating is limited to 25), on a variety of books that feature the Juneteenth celebration and highlight Black achievement. Families can also experience this event via youtube.com; this program has a constituency of 80,000 households across the nation. Children will also receive a free book for attending. The West Ward Community Initiative has partnered with JLV to offer a magician, Juneteenth coloring books, red velvet cupcake decorating, R&B band, and the Easton Cops and Kids reading program at a Farmer’s Market at the Paxinosa Elementary School, 1221 Northampton St, Easton, PA 18042 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. The celebration of Black literacy will continue into the evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Bethlehem Public Library that feature noted Black author, Elijah Pringle, contributor to – Liberty’s Vigil, the Occupy Anthology: 99 Poets Among the 99%.
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, the Sigal’s Museum, 342 Northampton St, Easton, PA 18042 will be the location of a Black Beauty Event that highlights Black hair, product vendors, skincare, and an interactive fashion show at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.Juneteenthlv.org, $10.00 per person, light refreshments will be served.
JLV will join the Iron Pigs at Coca-Cola Park on Friday, June 16, 2023, in Allentown to throw out the first pitch. This event is a precursor to the Juneteenth/African American Heritage Day with the Iron Pigs in June 2024. This will be the first African American heritage celebration in Coca-Cola Park that acknowledges the contributions Blacks have made to the sport of baseball.
Our two signature events are the Music Festival on Saturday, June 17th at Arts Quest in Bethlehem and the Juneteenth Parade on Monday, June 19th in Easton, PA. JLV brings to Arts Quest and PBS/WLVR campuses its third annual music and children’s festival. The days features an array of musical bands representing various music expressions that include, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Reggae, with a special tribute to 50 years of Hip-Hop simultaneously on the three stages at the Arts Quest (Steel Stacks) campus from 12:00-7:00 p.m. In addition, everyone can enjoy ethnic food and goods offered by 40+ Black-owned businesses. Children will enjoy concessions while participating in a magic show, storytelling from Lehigh Valley Reads program, performance by the Born-into-the-Arts Dancers, at the Children’s Stage of PBS/WLVR from 12:00-5:00 p.m.
The week ends on Monday, June 19th with the first Juneteenth Parade in the Lehigh Valley that brings together agencies from Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton on Northampton St. in Easton, PA from 12:00-3:00 p.m. The processional will feature area agencies and leaders from the African American community, drumlines and steppers, fraternities and sororities, children’s groups, and dance troupes.
This is a free event (except for the Hair/Beauty/Fashion Expo), for more information, go to www.Juneteenthlv.org.
Information provided to TVLon behalf of Karen Britt by:
Kevin Greene
Faces International
Chief Operations Officer
http://facesint.com
