MANATEE COUNTY (WSNN) – People on the Suncoast celebrate the new federal holiday, Juneteenth, in Manatee County.
The event was held Saturday from 1 to 5 pm at Ward’s Temple AME Church.
It’s a festival meant to celebrate June 19th, 1865, the day the last slaves were freed in the U.S.
Event organizers say this year, they wanted to support the community in the wake of all the racial turmoil we’ve experienced across the country.
A day for healing and togetherness.
32 vendors came out offering clothes, food, music, and more.
County commissioner Reggie Bellamy attended, alongside Manatee NAACP President Robert Powell.