Is Juneteenth a national holiday?

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Pan-African flag was raised in front of Buffalo City Hall on Friday, ahead of the annual Juneteenth festival.

The Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo is celebrating its 49th anniversary. In fact, Buffalo’s Juneteenth Festival is one of the oldest in the country.

“My job now is to make sure Juneteenth lasts another 49 years,” festival organizer Marcus Brown told 2 On Your Side. “We need to be able to pass the torch so that young children can enjoy Juneteenth.”

That’s why people sang when the ceremonial flag was raised in Niagara Square. The flag is red, black and green.

RELATED: Juneteenth flag raising in Lockport called ‘historic’

“I am proud to be African American in the city of Buffalo and in the United States of America,” said Buffalo Common Council member Leah Halton-Pope. “So as we boldly stand here today, to recognize Juneteenth and celebrate how free we are, because we’re not there yet, we won’t be there until everyone will not feel equality.”

It was an ocean of conviviality during Friday’s event.

“As we move forward, not forgetting but honoring what happened, what happened and what we continue to do by being extremely intentional in our words and our actions,” said Christopher Scanlon, president of the Buffalo Common Council.

Buffalo City Hall will be closed on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. The Queen City was one of the first cities to recognize June 17 as an official paid holiday for civil servants.

“Keeping the culture alive. That’s really what it’s all about,” said Common Council member Zeneta Everhart.