A late flight into the wrong airport did not keep Kenneth Ogungbemi from attending the Juneteenth Festival & Juried Art Show last year. It did, however, keep him from competing.
This year, Ogungbemi, a Nigerian-born artist from Brazil, has arrived early in order to compete at the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival this weekend.
His work has been chosen for the festival's poster art and will be featured alongside 60 other local and international artists, including landscape artists the Florida Highwaymen.
Although a lot of them have passed away, there will be nine in town for the festival.
Vivian Filer has lived in Gainesville for 63 years and considers herself to be one of the original "freedom fighters."
Filer, chair of the board of directors for the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, Inc. said Juneteenth is a celebration of the freedom of enslaved people in the United States after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed on Jan. 1, 1863.
The celebration began in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865, enslaved people first heard that they were free.
Over the years, other states have formed their own traditions of celebration. The Gainesville Juneteenth Festival is the largest in North Central Florida, Filer said.
She said the goal of the festival is "to explore and celebrate and enjoy the rich history of African-American people and United States history in general."
It is hosted by the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center and is funded in part by a Tourism Product Development Grant to promote cultural activity in the area during non-peak times, said Donna Isaacs, executive director of the Cotton Club Museum.
"When they found out they were free, it was a fun time with music and celebrating," Isaacs said. "This festival recreates that cultural festivity."
The festival has been downsized from two stages to one and will provide a more intimate atmosphere for vendors, Isaacs said. The stage will feature performances headlined by blues guitarist Lurrie Bell.
Despite the changes, Isaacs expects 7,500 people to attend the festival. Last year 5,000 people attended.
The festival will feature food, music, an art competition, children's activities and a youth talent competition.
"This gives the children an alternative venue to learn about their history," Isaacs said.
Filer said everyone who wants a cultural experience is welcome, not just African-Americans.
The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Lincoln Park, located off Southeast 15th Street near Lincoln Middle School. Admission is free.
