SLIDESHOW: Juneteenth Celebration at Farm Pond in Framingham

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FRAMINGHAM – Framingham held its second Juneteenth celebration yesterday, June 18 at Farm Pond Park in Framingham

Last year, the event was held at the Framingham Centre Common, just days after President Joseph Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.

In July 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a law making Juneteenth a Massachusetts holiday.

Organized by Framingham Community Vibes, Saturday’s event features music, food, and games.

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Rick Utaegbulam, like last year, organized this year’s event, which drew families from as far away as Maynard and Milford.

According to Juneteenth.com, “Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.”

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Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and City of Framingham First Lady Robin Kaye stopped by the Juneteenth celebration.

District 2 City Councilor Cesar Stewart Morales also attended the event with his family.

Former Mayor Yvonne Spicer, State Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, and Rep. Maria Robinson also attended the event.

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