Juneteenth 2023: Here's your guide to holiday events in Northeast Louisiana

Several events and festivities are planned in Northeast Louisiana to celebrate Juneteenth.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Cel-Liberation Day, commemorates the date when the last documented illegally detained slaves learned that they were free on June 19, 1865, roughly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day into law.

Here are a few Juneteenth events in Northeast Louisiana.

Monroe Juneteenth Celebration

The 12th annual Juneteenth Celebration in Monroe is Saturday, June 17. Festivities will kick off with a parade at 11 a.m. Line-up for the parade starts 9 a.m. at Wossman High School, 1600 Arizona Ave. Carroll High School Band Director Desaree Player and Carroll Junior High School Band Director Timothy Player will serve as Grand Marshals.

The parade will be followed by a celebration at Charles Johnson Park, 3313 Bernstein Park Drive.

4th annual Juneteenth Jubilee

A gathering of Black-owned businesses, artists and vendors will be held at the Downtown RiverMarket, 316 S. Grand, Monroe, from 5 to 9 p.m. Festivities also will include entertainment, food trucks and children's activities.

Town of Richwood Juneteenth Celebration

The Town of Richwood is hosting several Juneteenth festivities June 16−17 at the Richwood Multi-Purpose Center Drive, 2710 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. The town will open the commemoration Friday with a historical artifacts and art exhibit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a Juneteenth parade at 6 p.m. Lineup for the parade starts at 5 p.m.

Grambling's 2023 Juneteenth Heritage Festival

The City of Grambling will kick off its Juneteenth Heritage Festival with a gospel concert 6 p.m. Sunday at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2586 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Grambling.

The annual Juneteenth parade will be at 10 a.m. June 17 in Grambling Village at the St. Benedict Catholic Church, 471 Maine St., Grambling and will be followed by the big festival from Maine Street to Grambling Park. The festival will include vendors, vendor trucks, children's activities, a car show and live music. 

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