West Hartford will celebrate Juneteenth with concerts each Thursday night during the month of June in the courtyard of Blue Back Square.

Courtesy image

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford will once again observe Juneteenth, but rather than holding a single event, the holiday marking the end of slavery will be celebrated every Thursday night throughout the month of June.

“Juneteenth is a little different this year,” said Adrienne Billings-Smith, manager of West Hartford’s Office of Employee Development & Community Engagement.

“We’ve done five years of the festival,” held on one day either in the Town Hall parking lot or the Blue Back Square courtyard – and the weather didn’t always cooperate. Plus, weekends during the month of June also feature other large festivals –  Celebrate! West Hartford and Pride.

“You have all your hopes on that one day,” she added, noting that having a concert series for Juneteenth would be even more fun, and offer a greater chance for community connections.

The month-long concert series will include music and local vendors. Participation by youth will be a major aspect of the celebration, as will spoken word performances. The line-up has been set for June 4, 11, and 18 already, and June 25 is being finalized. Each week will be different, and the public can attend all four events, or pick and choose, Billings-Smith said.

Because the weekly concerts are in the middle of Blue Back Square’s courtyard, the public will hear the music and have a chance to enjoy the event at the spur of the moment. Jubilation Thursdays will also bring more people to Blue Back Square and the Center, and “will support local businesses and restaurants,” Billings-Smith said.

A fundraiser to support this event is in effect through the end of May. Organizers are hoping to raise enough funds to qualify for a match through Sustainable CT. As of May 14, $2,625 of the $3,350 goal had been raised for the campaign through the Patronicity crowd-sourcing platform.

“Juneteenth is more than a moment – it’s a movement. It’s a celebration of freedom, resilience, and the enduring contributions of Black Americans to our communities and culture,” reads a statement on the Patronicity site, adding that the celebration is “rooted in community. It builds on the foundation started by Concerned Parents of Color of West Hartford, the group that first brought Juneteenth celebrations to our town. Today, that vision continues through a broader, more inclusive approach – one that centers culture, supports local businesses, and creates space for shared experiences across our community.”

Support of this new chapter of West Hartford’s Juneteenth celebration will help “uplift Black artists, support local businesses, and create spaces for our community to come together and celebrate.”

For more information, visit the Patronicity site or contact Adrienne Billings-Smith at [email protected].

West Hartford’s 4th annual Juneteenth celebration. June 15, 2024. Photo credit: Bridget Bronsdon (we-ha.com file photo)

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