Family Fun Day
UNITE and other non profits in the community put together a 4-day Juneteenth festival from Thursday, June 16th to Sunday, June 19th to build community and celebrate freedom. Our event was designed to benefit children. Family fun day begin immediately after the holiday parade and we were located in front of the Oldest Black Baptist Church in town. The goal was to create a foundation of unity in our community where the purpose was focused on the needs of the members of our community. After two devestating hurricanes that resulted in floods that forced people our of the communities and then two more additional years of a pandemic that forced division, we felt it was necessary to establish a tradition that allowed us to come together and celebrate life, love, community and building back stronger.
Family Fun Day Vendors
Family Fun Day Sponsors
Participating Partners at Family Fun Day
Thursday, June 16th Events
Meet & Greet w/ Seeds of Hope
Seeds of Hope hosted a free event with refreshments, music and more. The idea is that we are able to come together, grab a souvenir book with all the upcoming events, network and have a good time. There will also be a special appearance from George Floyd’s mother .
Friday, June 17th Events
Family Fued Game Show
The Arts Council & Seeds of Hope created a Game Show Night on June 17th @ 6:30. Community organizations created teams of 5 for a chance to play one America’s favorites games, Family Fued, and win $500. Youtube Comedian Mattie J has agreed to host the event! There will also be vendors and vendor opportunities available for this event. Tickets are only $10 to enjoy a night full of laughter, fun and to support a good cause.
Saturday, June 18th Events
Freedom Day Parade/ Vendors
Seeds of Hope thought it was be a great idea to have a parade and a vendor fair highligting the businesses and organizations in our community. There has been an increase in the amount of new businesses and organizations in our community. It’s hard to know all the services that many provide because of the restrictions that the pandemic has created. Parades and vendors are a great way to learn what’s happening in the community. There will also be vendors down 41S. It would put you in the mind of how they have a vendor festival at the Lumbee Homecoming or anywhere else. Come out and have the full festival experience. The parade starts at 11am and the vendors last all day.
Family Fun Day
UNITE Education Foundation created an event that would appeal to the children/familes in our community. This event will have bouncy houses, multiple face painters, ballon twisting, karaoke, crafts, food and much more. This event will happen in the heart of the Juneteenth events on 41S. There will be a parade from downtown lumberton that will continue down the highway. Family Fun Day will begin immediately after the parade ends. Community members will be able to walk to other events to create the festival atmosphere. You wont want to miss it.
Juneteenth Cookout
The Village contributed their 2nd annual cookout. This event gave people who lived on a different side of town an opportunity to be in walking distance of a Juneteenth celebration. Cookouts are embedded in the genetic culture of African American culture so this event was definitely needed. This popular event brings people out every year and we were super excited to add them to the festival of celebrations. The Village will have free food, music, vendors, guest speakers, a baking contest and much more. Be sure to support.
Jazz Music Festival
Michael Fields Jr, a Robeson County Native, decided to come home to bless our community with a free Jazz Festival. Jazz was a distictive style that developed in the 1920’s. Its roots include many Afro-American folk music traditions, such as spirituals, work songs, and blues. It also borrowed from 19th century band music and the ragtime style of piano playing. Jazz has a deep history in African American culture and it is appropriate to celebrate those of us who fight to keep the Jazz culture alive. This event starts at 5pm. You don’t want to miss it.
Sunday, June 19th Events
Community Senior Brunch
Carol Richardson and Shalonda Regan is hosting the Senior Brunch. This free event was designed to give honor where honor is due. Our senior citizens have put up with more than we could ever imagine to create opportunites for us and our children. They did it against all odds but with tenacity, hardwork, dedication and much prayer they were able to move mountains. We could not have a festival celebrating where we are with out acknowleding where we have been. African American history had many trials but the light of our history stood in those who chose to survive and live to fight another day, the patriarchs and matriarchs of our Community. A Special thanks to Councilman John Cantey Precinct 5.
Community Gospel Choir
Alice Freeman collaborated with the churches in the area to create a Community Mass Choir. The festival of events will end with the mass choir filling the Lumberton Downtown plaza with angelic voices. Dr. Glenn McMillian will be coming from New York to direct the choir and unite the voices as one. The choir will be singing spirituals, hymns and a combination of songs that have been sung by African American people over the years. Please come out if you would like to witness a collaboration of praise to the father for bringing us through.
