Juneteenth Association Scholarship recipients from several local high schools took part in the Juneteenth Parade in Tyler last year. This year, the parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday. (Jessica T. Payne/Tyler Paper)

Juneteenth is this weekend and several local events are planned to honor the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

The day was officially recognized June 17, 2021, as a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Friday

The Juneteenth Association of Tyler is encouraging the community to come out to its upcoming events this weekend.

The organization will host multiple events beginning Friday with a special Gospel Bridge event in Bergfeld Park, 1510 S. College Ave., which will feature gospel singing from the Tyler community choir and various other performers. The event will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and all are welcome to attend. It is free and will include dinner for guests as well.

Also on Friday is the 2022 Miss Juneteenth East Texas Pageant, sponsored by Visions of Beauty and Excellence. The pageant is open to East Texas and regional area girls ages 1 to 18.

According to information from the event listing, the pageant aims to provide mentorship, promote youth empowerment and educate young girls about culture and history.

Tickets are $10 for ages 9 to 17 and $20 for adults.

The pageant starts at 5 p.m. and will be held at the Holiday Inn Tyler, 5701 S. Broadway Ave. There will also be a pop-up shop featuring vendors beginning at 4 p.m.

Saturday

On Saturday, the Juneteenth Association of Tyler is hosting its annual Juneteenth Parade. The grand marshals will be Judge Quincy Beavers Jr., who recently retired from his post after serving as Smith County Pct. 1 justice of the peace for 28 years, and Tyler Junior College women’s basketball Coach Trenia Tillis Hoard, who was recently named NJCAA Coach of the Year.

The parade will start at 10 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and end at Woldert Park, 701 W. 32nd St., where participants, parade-watchers and the community are all invited for free food and drinks, donated by Super 1, Fresh and Brookshire’s.

There will be various vendor booths and representatives from local organizations at the park. There will also be activities for children.

The festivities will continue into Saturday night as the association invites the community to a western dance at Majesty Event Center, 900 W. Bow St. in Tyler.

The event is being hosted in conjunction with Custom Truckers with doors opening at 8 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are being sold now for $20 at the Majesty box office or Custom Truckers Clubhouse at 702 W. Bow St., or attendees can buy a ticket at the door for $30. Free seating is available and VIP tickets are also available. Tickets are also available online by clicking here.

The dance will feature live performances by The Country Boys & Friends, Rod Willz, Lonk, Rey’n, Ms. Bridgette and Ms. Hattie. Infamous X is the DJ.

For more information about the western dance event, contact 903-630-8313.

A portion of the proceeds from all Juneteenth Association events goes toward the group’s scholarship fund. This year, the organization plans to award 18 scholarships.

“We are only able to do this through the community and really appreciate their support,” said Rosie Johnson with the Juneteenth Association of Tyler. “Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to help these young people enter into colleges and universities. We believe in giving back to the community.”

Juneteenth scholarship recipient winners have not yet been announced.

Custom Truckers also recently awarded nine students with scholarships, totaling over $4,000.

For more information about the Juneteenth events, contact the Juneteenth Association of Tyler at 903-360-2873.