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2024 WHEELING AREA
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION EVENT SCHEDULE
Saturday, June 15
Freedom Celebration and Fundraiser for the Underground Railroad Museum
6 p.m. | Shepherd's Farm Barn & Event Center, Bethesda, OH
Support the local Underground Railroad Museum by attending their Freedom Celebration and Fundraiser. The evening will include traditional African food, music, dancing and more. There will also be raffle baskets for some great prizes.
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Tickets are $40 per person and proceeds benefit the Underground Railroad Museum. To learn more and get tickets, click here.
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Learn more about the Underground Railroad Museum by visiting their website, www.ugrrf.org.
Sunday, June 16
A Taste of Tradition: Soul Food Cook-Off and Film Screening
6 p.m. | Towngate Theatre (2118 Market Street, Wheeling)
To kick off a series of events commemorating Juneteenth, join us for an evening celebrating Black culture through a Soul Food Cook-Off featuring traditional dishes like greens, cornbread, mac & cheese, chicken, potato salad, and sweets.
Entry to the event is $5. Admission includes 6 tickets, one for each category. Sample each dish and vote for your favorite in each category.
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After the food tasting, Towngate Theatre will screen a short film that explores the influence of African American cuisine on American culture.
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WANT TO ENTER THE COMPETITION?
•Enter as an individual, church, business, or group.
•Register by June 6
•Provide ingredient list for allergies.
•Bring your dish to Towngate Theatre by 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16.
•Your dish must be divided into sample-size portions at Towngate. Cups will be provided.
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To register as a contestant, click here.
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Call the YWCA for more information 304-232-0511.
Monday, June 17
Juneteenth Special Edition Lunch With Books Featuring Raymond Thompson, Jr.
noon - 1 p.m. | Ohio County Public Library
As part of the lead-up to Wheeling's Juneteenth Observation, the OCPL will present a special Monday edition of Lunch With Books.
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The University Press of Kentucky is pleased to announce the release of a timely and essential book about the Black experience. "Appalachian Ghost: A Photographic Reimagining of the Hawk's Nest Tunnel Disaster" by Raymond Thompson Jr. explores the possibilities of that tragedy by reviving the faces and spaces of Hawk's Nest. Using primary source materials to re-create the workers' experiences in photographs, Thompson recontextualizes archival images to present a counter-archive that positions the Black experience at Hawk's Nest within the larger story of the American labor landscape. His photographs and poetry give voice to the silenced, resisting revisionist narratives that often ignore the sacrifices of African Americans and erase their instrumental role in the development of America's infrastructure.
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Learn more here.
Tuesday, June 18
Juneteenth Community Art Project: Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams”
Time TBD | Wheeling Heritage Port
You are invited to a special collaborative art project in celebration of Juneteenth, honoring the history and achievements of Black Americans. Under the theme "Our Ancestors' Wildest Dreams," the community is invited to contribute to the creation of a vibrant mural designed by local artist Vondel Bell.
This mural will remain at Wheeling Heritage Port for the 2024 Wheeling Area Juneteenth Celebration, serving as a visual representation of Black history, expression, agency, liberation, and joy, reflecting the past, present, and future aspirations of the Black community.
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Everyone from the community is encouraged to participate. All supplies are provided and there is no cost to participate.
This project is made possible by Wheeling Heritage and the Wheeling Arts and Cultural Commission.
Wednesday, June 19
Wheeling Juneteenth Ceremony and Celebration
6 p.m. | Wheeling Heritage Port
Join us at 6 p.m. at Heritage Port as we honor and celebrate African American history, music, faith, family, and freedom! The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a short ceremony, with music and entertainment to follow.
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Interested in being a vendor at Juneteenth? Click here to submit your information!
The theme of this year’s Juneteenth Celebration is "Our Ancestors' Wildest Dreams." In the spirit of this theme, speakers will share their reflections, stories, and aspirations in the spirit of empowerment and progress.
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Celebration Performers:
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Voices of Praise, Macedonia Baptist Church
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Ezra Hamilton
Presented by the Wheeling Area Juneteenth Committee in partnership with:
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