Juneteenth celebrations are officially underway in Southern Nevada.
On Thursday, a day before the federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States, the city of North Las Vegas hosted a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at City Hall.
“Freedom had existed, on paper, two years before it reached all of the people (who) were meant to be free,” North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown said at the ceremony, whose attendants included, predominantly, City Hall employees and Clark County Commissioners.
“(Juneteenth) reminds us that freedom was not given to all at once, but fought over time with courage, determination and faith. That same spirit is alive right here in this community,” she said. “We are committed to making sure we have a community where every culture, every background and every person feels welcome and respected.”
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, when Congress enacted and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. That same year, North Las Vegas became the first city in Nevada to issue a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth as a city holiday. Every year since, the Juneteenth flag has been raised outside City Hall.
Alongside Goynes-Brown, the other keynote speaker on the day was Tyler D. Parry, an associate professor of African American and African diaspora studies at UNLV, who spoke about maintaining the holiday’s original purpose of celebrating culture amid growing corporate involvement.
“Much of the heavy lifting to save Juneteenth from becoming another commercialized holiday has to be done by everyday people,” Parry said. “Thought leaders, intellectuals and legislators have all their value to the community. But we should celebrate nurses, bus drivers, electricians, plumbers, sanitation workers, school teachers and a host of others who go to work every day to contribute to their community. We must have compassion for the unhoused and the incarcerated and believe that no cause for a better society is ever lost.”
Goynes-Brown said the city of North Las Vegas will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence later in the summer, but she left the nearly 100 attendees with a reminder.
“Let’s not forget, Juneteenth is America’s second independence day,” Goynes-Brown said.
Elsewhere in Las Vegas Valley, Juneteenth celebrations already have and will continue to take place this weekend.
On Wednesday, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was illuminated in red, black and green, three colors associated with the holiday.
Through Saturday, several Juneteenth-related events are scheduled.
— Juneteenth Freedom Day Fest at Fergusons Downtown: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, The Yard at Fergusons Downtown, free.
— Juneteenth Soul Session: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Parkdale Recreation & Senior Center, free.
— Twas the Night Before Juneteenth Game Night: Thursday, Whitney Recreation Center, free.
— Henderson Flag-Raising Assembly: 6 p.m. Friday, Henderson City Hall Plaza, free.
— Juneteenth at AREA15: 3 p.m. Friday, The Portal at AREA15, Prices TBA.
— The $10 Experience and Clark County District D Festival: 3 p.m. Friday, Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center, free.
— Freedom A Juneteenth Celebration presented by Michelle Johnson: 6 p.m. Friday, Myron’s at The Smith Center, admission $40.30 to $63.30.
— Wear Your Freedom: A Juneteenth Wearable Art Experience and Market: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Downtown Las Vegas Arts District, admission $25-$95.
— City of Henderson Juneteenth Festival: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Water Street Plaza, free.
— 25th Annual Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival: 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Symphony Park, free.
