Oxford celebrates Juneteenth

Published 6:00 am Sunday, June 19, 2016

Hundreds of residents enjoyed some fun in the sun Saturday and celebrate history without even realizing it.

The eighth annual Oxford Juneteenth Festival was from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Oxford Intermediate School’s parking lot. The family-oriented event included entertainment, water slides, face-painting, hotdogs, local vendors and giveaways all day.

Juneteenth first started as a celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. It was June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers announced in Texas that those enslaved were free. Oxford residents first started the celebration locally to bring that message.

Email newsletter signup