Juneteenth: ‘Food, Brew, and Fireworks’ celebrated 1865 Freedom

Four Farmington Valley towns band together in free community event

By Maria G. O'Donnell

Staff Writer

Pictured here are Simsbury DEI Council members, from left: Carol Clark-Flanagan, Devonna Hall, Cheryl Cook (Co-Chair and Hometown Hero), and Chari Chester Anderson.

The warm, sunny early evening of June 20 at Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center proved to be the perfect setting for the fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration. The free event and largest of its kind in the Farmington Valley was supported by four local towns that banded together, Avon, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury. The towns were represented by tents set up by their local libraries.

The celebration is a program of the Simsbury DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Council. And what a celebration it was: With a backdrop of live and DJ music under the hosting of June Archer’s Eleven 28 Entertainment, visitors were treated to food trucks with ice cream, Black and Caribbean cuisine, plus a Black-owned brewery and businesses. 

Children took part in the LEGO® Black Brick Play Zone, as well as another activities tent, while people danced their hearts out on the open field. The evening capped off with a spectacular fireworks presentation. According to Jay Sloves of Elkinson + Sloves strategic marketing, design and advertising services firm, there were “more than 2,000 [in attendance]. That’s twice our largest crowd.”

Alex Breanne Corporation’s Founders John and Erica Mills promoted John’s newly released book, The Narrative of Primus: A Lineage Woven into American History. The non-profit provides “research, interrogation and presentation of lesser known stories representing the life experience of the American enslaved, presented from an African American perspective,” according to their website, alexbreanne.org.

The celebration was held on the day after the actual federally recognized holiday. According to Simsbury Public Schools Director of Equity and Access Dr. Tayarisha Batchelor, “Juneteenth, observed each year on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, making it a powerful symbol of both delayed justice and enduring resilience. 

“Often referred to as Emancipation Day, the holiday reflects a broader history in which news of freedom reached different communities at different times, underscoring that liberation was not immediate or evenly experienced across the country. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, marking a significant step in national recognition of this history. 

“Today, it invites Americans to reflect on the true meaning of freedom, honoring the strength and perseverance of Black communities who built lives, culture, and institutions in the face of systemic oppression. At the same time, it is a celebration marked by gatherings, music, food, and storytelling that center both remembrance and joy, and it serves as a reminder that understanding the past is essential to shaping a more just and inclusive future.”

 Batchelor was a Planning Committee Member of the event, as was Chari Chester Anderson, a Simsbury DEI Council member. Anderson recalled that the first time the DEI Council had a Juneteenth celebration, it was held on Zoom during Covid in 2021. Juneteenth is “one of the signature events for the DEI Council,” Anderson explained. 

“It gets bigger every year, and what’s new are the fireworks – we wanted that for America’s Independence Day,” she said. “What’s special is that our event has four towns together; there are a lot of volunteers from each of the four towns to make this happen. It means a lot to do this in the Farmington Valley. It’s really a community event – the community support is very diverse generationally, ethnically and racially. We’re celebrating America’s second Independence Day. Freedom started for Blacks in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Lincoln. Juneteenth came two years after in Texas when slaves were told by Union soldiers they were free. It was jubilee time then!”

Anderson noted the jubilee time happening that night where “we focus on promoting Black-owned businesses, food trucks and brewery. We’re really trying to celebrate the freedom we have. It hasn’t been long since we’ve had Black-owned businesses. It shows our appreciation for the blood, sweat and tears, fighting for freedom denied for 200 years.”

Later in the evening, Batchelor noted, “If belonging and inclusivity can happen anywhere, it will happen in Simsbury. Simsbury is the perfect place where we can learn to grow together. We come here to learn and tell stories of liberation. That’s what makes it so important.”

Historian John Mills with the non-profit Alex Breanne Corporation shared the storied contributions of Black families in the Farmington Valley area.

The night capped off with a spectacular fireworks show. A portion of June Archer’s remarks prior to the fireworks was provided by Elkinson + Sloves, Inc.: “Now, as the sun sets and we rise…In 1963 Martin Luther King had a dream. That dream had its roots right here in the Farmington Valley.

“As a young man in the 1940s, Dr. King lived and worked right in our community. It was here that Martin Luther King decided to enter the ministry. He attended Simsbury churches, sang with the choir, enjoyed drugstore milkshakes and attended movies at Eno Hall. 

“Tonight, we celebrate this dream of freedom with a unique Juneteenth fireworks show called ‘Glory’ – choreographed to a legendary lineup of artists…The Harlem Boys Choir, Ray Charles [America the Beautiful], Aretha Franklin singing Opera! and rousing finale by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. So, rise together as we light up our spacious skies. Enjoy the show!”

 Archer’s inspiring words were followed by those of Martin Luther King himself in an uplifting original recording from Aug. 1963 in Washington, DC, of his “I Have a Dream” speech. His voice rang out over the field as fireworks erupted in the night sky and segued into the powerful musical selections mentioned above. 

Event organizers were grateful to sponsors for contributing to this event, enabling it to be free to guests. Sponsors included: Richard P. Garmany Fund, The Taylor Family Foundation, Eversource Energy, Hartford Yard Goats Foundation, Avon Public Library, Simsbury Main Street Partnership, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, iHeartMedia, Elkinson + Sloves, Inc., Peoples Bank, LEGO Systems, Inc, Eleven 28 Entertainment, Signs Plus Print, The Archer Foundation, Super Joe Lewis Sound and the towns of Avon, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury.  VL

Providing the answer key to the evening’s History Hunt are, from left: Candace Chester Mafe (Chari Chester Anderson’s sister) and Simsbury DEI Council member Devonna Hall.

June Archer of Eleven 28 Entertainment, hosted the festivities and produced the entertainment program.

From Granby, the Thorpe family enjoys a good time: Dad, Oshane and Mom, Noelle, with children, from left: Nayomi, Norah, and Noah.

“It’s NUT as hot as you think,” advertises Char’s Spicy Nuts (Windsor), made with a touch of Jamaican scotch bonnet pepper, “The perfect blend of heat & sweet.” Pictured here is Charmaine Johnson, who partners with her sister, Sonia Gyambibi.

Enjoying the variety of merchandise are Simsbury residents Kelly Murphy Andruk with son, Oscar Andruk, and husband, Eric Andruk.

In the LEGO® Black Brick Play Zone, children could create whatever they pleased and take their creations home with them. Presenting their finest are, from left, Maverick, 7, and Cayden, 5, Johnson from Simsbury.

Simsbury First Selectman Wendy G. Mackstutis read from a Proclamation for Juneteenth calling for “freedom, equity and justice for all.”