LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH 2009: COUNT DOWN, 1 MORE DAY UNTIL EVENT ON JUNE 20, 2009

UNITY: FAMILIES ENTWINED IN 2009There is a lot that's been planned for Juneteenth at the Lafayette County celebaration that will be in Higginsville, MO on Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Parade starts at 10 am.
Lots of children activities, old time fun relays, games, free horse rides sponsored by the Buffalo Soldiers, inflatibles, the nature display from Missouri Conservation, the Madden video tournament with its prizes!

There's a raffle. 1st prize is a Roadmate GPS. 2nd prize is $100. Donation is $1.00 per ticket. Tickets are still available on the day of the event. Tickets were donated by Taber Printing in Henrietta, MO.

Lots of information and resources will be available at the 4-H building where the educational displays and presentation are.

T-shirts and souvenir booklets are on sale.

Main stage will be hot with excitement and energy with all of the live music and entertainment.

Bring your lawn chairs, but there will be seating available IN THE SHADE, too. Put on your celebration hats, too.

Put on your celebration hats and meet us at Juneteenth in Higginsville, MO.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH 2009: COUNT DOWN, 1 MORE DAY UNTIL EVENT ON JUNE 20, 2009

HAPPY JUNETEENTH, JUNE 19!

"...Juneteenth is a day for celebration of freedom and family, but also a day that calls us all to rededicate ourselves to the convictions at the heart of our American experiment. It reminds us that with the work of each successive generation, we come closer to the realization of that more perfect union."
President Barack Obama

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH 2009: COUNT DOWN, 4 MORE DAYS UNTIL EVENT ON JUNE 20, 2009

Juneteenth means freedom.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. June 19, 1865, union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with 2000 Federal troops to issue the order hat the Civil War had ended and that all slaves were free. This was two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that had become official on January 1, 1863.

Saturday, June 20, 2009 is the Lafayette County Juneteenth Celebration at the Fairground Park in Higginsville, MO. The theme is “Unity: Families Entwined in 2009.” This is a free, fun, family-oriented event that includes a parade, an opening ceremony, open-mike talent show, live music and entertainment, educational presentations and displays, horse rides, children's games and activities, food and craft vendors, and a Madden football video tournament.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH 2009: COUNT DOWN, SIX MORE DAYS TILL EVENT ON JUNE 20, 2009

UNITY: FAMILIES ENTWINED IN 2009


Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. June 19, 1865, union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with 2000 Federal troops to issue the order hat the Civil War had ended and that all slaves were free. This was two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that had become official on January 1, 1863.


The annual Juneteenth parade commences at 15th and Main promptly at 10 am and ends at the Fairground Park. Linda Smith, parade coordinator says, “We invite all families to come out and watch the parade because Juneteenth is a historical event!” Mrs. Fern Mason of Lexington, MO is this year's Grand Marshall. Shelia Lee of Lexington, MO will be the parade announcer. Other parade highlights include Nadine Seals, 2009 Wentworth Military Academy queen candidate, Mayor Bill Kolas, Lafayette County Commisioners, MO State Representative Joe Aull, Greater KC Leavenworth Area Chapter 9th and 10th Horse Calvary Association of the Buffalo Soldiers,
and the Allah Temple # 6 Shriners.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH CELEBARATION , JUNE 20, 2009 : BROTHER K BAND TO PLAY ON MAIN STAGE

“Brothers K Band is the brainchild of father/son songwriting and arranging team Robin and Chris Kalthoff. With the addition of Becka (Chris’s wife), the group has evolved into a unique blend of original music with a traditional sound, blending bluegrass, folk, rock and country with real stories from the heart of the Missouri River bottom land. Traditional instruments such as guitar, harmonica, dobro and auto harp are used in conjunction with African drums and shakers to create a fresh alternative to over-processed top 40 music. Vocals are interwoven into the music and used as instruments themselves to create this unique sound. As Chris so succinctly puts it:
'It’s Traditional Alternative Missouricana with a Twist of River Water!'” The group will be performing at 1pm at the amphitheater.

Lafayette County, MO Juneteenth Celebration Committee: Unity: Families Entwined in 2009, Come Out and Celebrate With Us!

2009 Lafayette County Juneteenth Celebration committee: Front row L to R: Shirley Cole, Arron Haynes, Deborah May, Shirley Hollis. Second row L to R: Gerald Gordon, Evelyn Trigg, Mary Turner, Dale May, and Walter Mayberry. Not pictured: Ronald Cole, Teresa Habernal, Chere and Eric Hartzell, Linda Smith, and Dorothy Lillard.

We invite everyone to come out on Saturday, June 20, 2009 to our Juneteenth Celebration. It's the biggest Juneteenth celebration in Lafayette County! Come to Higginsville, MO and celebrate with us! Family-friendly and free!

Theme: Unity: Families Entwined in 2009!!!!!!!!!

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, MO JUNETEENTH 2009: EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS AND PRESENTATIONS ARE TRADITION OF JUNETEETNTH CELEBRATION

Mrs. Banty has been a faithful presenter since the first Juneteenth celebration was held in Lafayette County, MO in 2005. She has collected a large display of artifacts that represent the inventions that were created by African Americans.


“Unity: Families Entwined in 2009,” is the theme for the Lafayette County Juneteenth Celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at the the Fairground Park in Higginsville, MO. Juneteenth is the oldest celebration that observes the end of slavery in America. Juneteenth means freedom. It is a celebration of family, culture, and empowerment. A yearly tradition of the county's annual event has been on the importance of providing an educational emphasis and programs. There will be displays and presentations at the Edwin Schwitsky 4-H Building located at the park.

The presentation schedule is as follows:
12:00 pm Black Inventions - Margaret Banty
12:15 pm Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program – Katie Nixon
12:30 pm Wentworth Military Academy – Drew Burkeybile
12:45 pm Department of Conservation – B.J.Ream
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Panel Discussion - Reverend Dale Felder, Nina Jones, J.S. Leonard, Ph.D., Reverend Gary Mayberry, Dr. Jeffrey Sattler, and Linda G. Smith, M.A.

“There's going to be a six-member panel to discuss topics to help families cope during these rough times. Emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health, family unity, finances, and education are the topics that will be discussed. We want to encourage all to come and sit in on this panel discussion. There will be a short question and answer period, too.”says Teresa Habernal, educational coordinator.

Other displays and information will be provided by the Lafayette County Health Department, University of MO Extension, Quilting class, Odessa and Lexington, MO African American History, and the Mount Muncie Cemetery Documentation Project. The displays will be available from 12 noon to 3 pm. Any changes in this information will be announced on the day of the event. For further information, contact Teresa Habernal at 816-781-1246.