WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN JUNE
June
04 GO: Cultural Parade on Saturday, June 4. Noon–4 pm. Heritage Festival on Saturday, June 18. Noon–9 pm. 18th and Vine District, KCMO.
UNITED WE STAND
Last year, June 19 was officially recognized as a federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the US. This year, Kansas City’s 18th and Vine District is expecting more than ten thousand people to attend its Juneteenth cultural parade and heritage festival, which will be themed “United We Stand.” The cultural parade is Saturday, June 4, and will feature a mix of local drill teams, community groups and floats. The heritage festival on Saturday, June 18, will host over two hundred retail and food vendors, a kids zone with things like giant puppets and face painting, live music from The Rude Boys and others, an outdoor skating rink and talks from important KC figures. Most of the activities will be free. “We’ve made the effort to connect with community resources and entities and to foster local partnerships that can support families year-round,” says program director Makeda Peterson.
This year, Paseo to Truman will be blocked off for the festival, encompassing the entire Jazz District and several city blocks. “We’ve grown every year, and now this year we are getting national recognition,” Peterson says. “That growth has been diverse, too. We’ve really seen a mix of cultures wanting to learn more and celebrate.” Peterson has hosted the Juneteenth festival for eleven years in the Jazz District. Her father, Horace Peterson, was the founder of the Black Archives of Mid-America, the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He started the city’s Juneteenth celebrations in the early ’80s, and today his daughter carries on the tradition. “It’s just cool to see the celebration of African American culture and pride here in Kansas City,” Peterson says. “It’s rare for our community to have the opportunity to be unapologetic about our culture. This is about us. It’s a day of celebration and liberation.” —MARY H ENN
KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022
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