Buffalo gears up for Juneteenth celebration this weekend

BUFFALO, N.Y. — One of the nation’s biggest June festivals returns to Buffalo this weekend.

More than 5,000 people are expected to march in the 49th annual Juneteenth parade, and thousands more will flock to the festival that follows.

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“We’re expecting over 30,000 people to come to the festival, so people are coming from out of town, from several states, sometimes even from other countries, just to come to our festival. We’re going to celebrate everything about Buffalo, and about blackness,” said organizer Dr. Melissa Neal.

Sterling Lee, co-owner of EM Tea Coffee Cup Café, added: “All walks of life – different businesses, from young to old – are selling their items, selling food, selling jewelry, selling clothing, selling coffee. ‘art. It’s much more than just a parade.

This year, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday on Genesese Street. The festival ends at 7 p.m. Saturday before the celebration continues on Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.

“Juneteenth, of course, started in Jefferson and grew to Martin Luther King Park, and it’s only getting bigger,” said organizer Starr Funderburg. “The history of Juneteenth Buffalo is so rich. We are so excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary next year.”

The festival brings together 150 vendors, including several Black-owned businesses.

The owners of EM Tea Coffee Cup Café said that for many years the Juneteenth Festival brought awareness to their café, which opened more than 20 years ago.

Lee said he first helped his mother at the Juneteenth Festival when he was 14 years old.

“I learned. I quickly realized how much this is about my community, this is about my culture, so if I want to be involved in this culture and say that I’m part of this culture, I have to know that,” Lee said

Lee said he was encouraged to learn there would be a teen-only area at this year’s Juneteenth festival, as well as a children’s area.

“For me, it was necessary. As I grow as a young adult, I’m still trying to figure out who I am. Young kids definitely need to be more involved than adults. They’re the next generation,” Lee said. said.