Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Hundreds of residents gathered along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Saturday morning as Springfield’s annual Juneteenth Unity Parade kicked off the city’s 32nd annual Juneteenth Celebration.

The Unity Parade traveled through Springfield’s east side before ending at Comer Cox Park, where a weekend music festival and community celebration continued throughout the day.

For parade chair and Juneteenth Inc. Director of Operations Sherina Douglas, the event serves as more than a parade.

“This is our kickoff to our two-day music festival,” Douglas said. “The whole point is to kind of let everybody know Juneteenth celebration is starting, and they should come on out to the park.”

Douglas said organizers intentionally keep the parade route on the east side of Springfield.

“We purposefully keep the parade on this side of 11th Street because there’s never any activity over here for these residents,” she said.

The parade is one part of an eight-day celebration that includes educational programs, youth activities, art exhibits, community discussions and guest speakers. Douglas noted the event has become a longstanding Springfield tradition.

“This is the longest-running festival in Springfield, longer running than the Route 66 car show, longer running than the Springfield Mile,” Douglas said. “It says something that Springfield residents have come together to organize the celebration of Juneteenth for over 30 years.”

Along the parade route, residents gathered in lawn chairs and on front porches to watch the festivities.

Nikki Washington and Queen Washington were among those enjoying the parade with their families. Nikki Washington, a licensed foster parent, said attending the parade has become an annual tradition.

“We’ve been doing it yearly,” Washington said. “We’ve been at it for about four years now.”

Washington said bringing children to the parade helps them better understand the holiday and the community around them.

“It means a lot,” she said. “It helps them to understand things and the people that are serving in the parade. They’re learning. It’s a learning experience for all of us, really.”

Local performance groups took part in the parade. April Allen, known as Coach A, brought members of her dance team to participate in what she called a meaningful annual event.

“Juneteenth is a special parade for us because it’s our debut parade,” Allen said. “I love the girls celebrating who they are and that they can naturally be themselves.”

Allen said events like the Juneteenth Celebration help strengthen connections throughout Springfield.

“I feel like it brings us closer as a community,” she said. “This is just a unity thing to bring everybody together with everything that they love about the culture.”

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday became a federal holiday in 2021.

Douglas said organizers hope attendees take time to learn about the history behind the celebration.

“Juneteenth is more than a party in the park,” she said. “Make sure you educate yourself. This is the true Independence holiday for America.”

Springfield’s Juneteenth Celebration continues throughout the week with youth programs, community discussions, guest speakers, concerts and other activities leading up to Juneteenth on June 19.