WESTCHESTER, Ill., June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Speaker of the Illinois House Emanuel "Chris" Welch is bringing back his annual Juneteenth Celebration. The free event will be a day of family fun, featuring a range of performances, guest appearances, and local vendors selling food, art, and other items.

"The importance of celebrating Juneteenth is as important as it's ever been," said Speaker Welch, "As extremists in Washington and across our nation work to erase Black History, we must not only push back in the statehouse, we must also continue to come together with love, joy and understanding, which is exactly what this annual celebration is all about."

The event boasts over 50 local vendors and a host of community sponsors, including: PepsiCo, Iron Workers Local 63, IBEW 9, Meridian Health, Rainbow Cone, ABDI, and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Featured performers include the Jesse White Tumblers, Simone Green, 1 Soul 1 Tribe, Muntu Dance Theatre, and the Proviso West High School Marching Band. Featured guests include Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, Sheriff Tom Dart, and many more. There will also be free haircuts by James Blakes the Barber.

Juneteenth celebrates and honors African Americans' journey to freedom in America. June 19, 1865, was the day word reached the enslaved in Galveston, Texas, that their emancipation had been made formal, though it had been so since January 1, 1863. That news changed the world for the better.

The free Juneteenth Celebration will take place on Thursday, June 19th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Memorial Park District [639 N. Wolf Road in Hillside] behind Adventure Bay Pool. Adventure Bay Poll will be closed during the time of the event. To register as a vendor for the event, visit https://bit.ly/42h9X1d. For questions, email democraticpartyofproviso@gmail.com.

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SOURCE The People for Emanuel Chris Welch