Staten Island's 3rd Inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Festival will celebrate History, Culture, Health, and Wellness

Historic Event To Be Held On June 17 At Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, June 8, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Staten Island Community Alliance Corp, in partnership with Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, along with dozens of Black-led national and local community organizations, is excited to announce the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival on June 17, 2023, from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM. The Festival will feature live performances and presentations, crafts, a food and artisan market, wellness village, and more, celebrating history, culture, health, and wellness.

This free event will be held on the South Meadow and in the RCSF Tuscan Garden at the Center, on 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301.

Guests can expect an array of exciting activities. The Juneteenth Freedom festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden will culminate in a candle lighting and libation ceremony & African dance ceremony. Co-hosts for the day WBLS Radio Personalities DJ Antoine Qua and friends, Just Nik, Miss ID, Fred "Bugsy" Buggs and DJ S1, including a live music performance by United Nations Youth Ambassador and social impact artist AY Young, dance and Spoken Word performances, a highlight event the Shaolin Cypher & Awards ceremony celebrating the 50 Years of Hip Hop featuring Staten Island's Hip Hop Legends, Robert Briggs "Pop The Brown Hornet", Kool Kim /NYOil & Haas G/Fantom of the beat from the "UMC'S", & Adrian Angevin "King Just". Juneteenth-supporting marketplace vendors, as well as a Wellness Village curated by CHASI (Community Health Action of Staten Island). Families and Children can also enjoy a FREE day pass to the Staten Island Children's Museum with registration for arts and crafts & workshops, Motherland Fashion Show showcasing African designers, and a performance by the Delta Sigma Theta Step Team.

Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, is an important celebration for African-Americans. The festival's significance is heightened in Staten Island, home to Rossville's Sandy Ground Community, the oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement in the United States. Staten Island Community Alliance and its partner organizations share a commitment to uplifting Black and brown communities on Staten Island and beyond through various means.

SICA's President Dana Walker- Boyd stated, "We're elated to produce our 3rd consecutive Juneteenth Freedom Festival at Snug Harbor, the largest outdoor venue showcasing our rich abundant history, global culture, while educating about the significance of the Juneteenth Holiday, celebrating Black Music Month and 50 Years of Hip Hop. I'm honored to represent my native hometown in partnership with our dynamic Board of Directors, Community Partners, Organizations, and lead sponsors.”

"Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is the place where Staten Island's historical legacy feeds today's culture through inviting artists and communities to imagine, create, and connect with each other,” said Jessica Baker Vodoor, President & CEO of Snug Harbor. “We're so thrilled that Staten Island's annual Juneteenth celebration has made its home at Snug Harbor. We are inspired by SICA's creation of a joyful and vibrant annual tradition of community collaboration, and we are proud to once again sponsor this event on our grounds."

Event partners include: NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.-Alpha Beta Pi Omega Chapter, Staten Island Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Frederick Douglass Memorial Park S.I., Richmond County Public Administrator Edwina Francis Martin Esq, Universal Temple of the Arts, Gerard Carter Community Center, Lets Disrupt Digital, Battery Tour, Suja Organic, Staten Island Foundation, Community Health Action Staten Island, Sun River Health, St. George Theatre, Minority Women’s Business Association of Staten Island, Paige One Assist-A Legacy Research Company, Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island Museum, Robert DeFalco Realty, Impact Real Estate, Michelle Swiney Hair, Staten Island Black Heritage, and Harriet Tubman Purple Hat Society.

To learn more and register, visit https://bit.ly/SICAJuneteenth. Sponsor and vendor packages are still available, and those interested can email letsdisruptdigital@gmail.com or president@sicommunityalliance.org, to receive further info about these opportunities.

The Staten Island Community Alliance Corp was officially formed in 2021 formerly known as the Juneteenth Freedom Festival and partnered with other community organizations to create programming for our annual Juneteenth Celebrations here on Staten Island. These organizations led by leaders of color on Staten Island came together to build a cultural environment that will be sustainable organizationally beyond the weekend.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is a historic 83-acre campus offering dynamic programming in the arts, horticulture, and agriculture for diverse communities and all ages. The organization envisions being a locally impactful, globally renowned destination true to its values of artistic vibrancy and community, inclusion and discovery, stewardship, and conservation. Snug Harbor is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate organization.

Dana Walker-Boyd, President
Staten Island Community Alliance
+1 347-277-5740
president@sicommunityalliance.org
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