18-06-2025
Lake County Juneteenth celebrations will be hosted in Waukegan this year
Before Juneteenth (June 19) became a national holiday in 2021, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, it was already an official holiday in Waukegan since 2020, recognized by the city, the Waukegan Park District, and Waukegan Community Unit School District 60.
Though in the past multiple events took place in different parts of Lake County, including Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion, this year the primary countywide celebration is Saturday in Waukegan with 12 hours of festivities in different forms.
Recognizing the day slaves in Texas were told of their freedom — June 19, 1865 — more than three years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery in the country, Juneteenth evokes a variety of feelings for Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham.
'Juneteenth will help others understand the pain and joy of our people — the pain of being enslaved and the joy of becoming free,' Cunningham, the city's first Black mayor, said. 'Now we live in a country where our dreams can be achieved. That's what Juneteenth means to me.'
Juneteenth events started Thursday at the African American Museum at England Manor in Waukegan and continue with the daylong celebration — the Juneteenth Lake County Parade & Festival 2025 — Saturday in Waukegan
Though the holiday is on Thursday with some events, Sylvia England, the museum's founder, said scheduling the major celebration on Saturday gives more people the opportunity to celebrate together as a community.
'A lot of people are not being given off on the 19th,' England said. 'It's kind of a regular day for many businesses. We thought it would be a bigger and better celebration if we moved it to the weekend after Juneteenth.'
With ArtWauk already scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Waukegan, Cunningham said it will give people the chance to experience both events at the same time, hopefully expanding the Juneteenth crowd.
Brandon Ewing, one of the event organizers and the past president of the District 60 Board of Education, said both the parade and recognizing Mr. Juneteenth and Ms. Juneteenth are first-time events. He has long celebrated the holiday in different ways. He is glad it is becoming a big event.
'We're showing up and representing our people living joyfully in our skins in spaces where we were once pushed to the margins,' Ewing said.
Juneteenth events start at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the museum, opening with African-style drummers. England said there will be a ceremony, music from a live band, honoring longtime members of the African American Community, and skits about Dred Scott and Harriet Tubman.
There will also be a freedom walk at 5 p.m. Thursday starting outside the Grayslake Public Library.
Saturday's events start at 10 a.m. with a history walk at Eugene King Park sponsored by the museum and the Waukegan Park District. Ty Rohrer, the park district's manager of cultural arts, said it will take people through different parts of the city's south side.
The walk will go by the Eddie Washington Center, named for the late member of the Illinois General Assembly, and Carman-Buckner Elementary School named in part for Isabelle Buckner, District 60's first black principal.
Rohrer said participants will visit graves of former slaves at Oakwood Cemetery who came to Waukegan with their freedom as well as going to Shiloh Baptist Church and Trinity AME Church. Both congregations are more than 100 years old.
Ewing said the parade starts at 1 p.m. at the corner of Washington and Jackson streets, going east until it ends at Sheridan Road near the festival, which goes from 1:30 to 10 p.m. on Genesee Street from Washington to Madison streets.
'We'll have a children's area with pony rides, a petting zoo and a bouncy house,' Ewing said. 'There will be dozens of food vendors including food trucks. There will be a lot of soul food. We'll have vendors.'
Opening ceremonies take place between 2:50 and 3:20 p.m. at the BCU Stage. Ewing said Mr. Juneteenth and Ms., Juneteenth will be recognized then. Eachj receives a $500 scholarship.
