LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Thousands of people gathered in downtown Lima on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth with music, food, family activities and local shopping opportunities while honoring African American history and promoting community unity.
Following a parade, attendees made their way downtown, where the celebration featured entertainment, activities for children and adults, and dozens of vendors participating in a Juneteenth Pop-Up Shop.
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The observance became a federal holiday in 2021 and celebrates African American culture and achievements.
Organizers said Juneteenth Lima also uses the annual event to strengthen unity throughout the area. The organization recently became a nonprofit and is already looking for ways to invest back into the community through future initiatives.
“So, being a new Juneteenth nonprofit, we have a scholarship initiative for next year. The Kathy Roberts scholarship award. We're going to start working on all of that. So, this is part of raising these dollars to get back into the community,” said Marc Wright, Juneteenth Lima board president.
The event also generated strong support for vendors participating in the Juneteenth Pop-Up Shop. Fifty vendors, including businesses from Lima and across Ohio, sold products throughout the day, with several vendors selling out before the event ended.
“Yeah, a lot of my vendors are already left because they already sold out, so that's a good thing. It made me feel good and makes me feel like they trust me with their brand. I feel like that means a lot because that's hard to do,” said Megan Horton, Juneteenth Lima Pop-Up Queen.
Organizers said the Juneteenth Lima committee will take a short break before beginning preparations for next year's celebration.
