Natchez’s Juneteenth 2024 events announced

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
May 23, 2024 | 3:45 PM

Opal Lee, left, who is known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," is pictured with Natchez native Princess Karen Chatman at the 2023 Inspired Women's Luncheon in Arlington, Texas. In early May 2024, President Biden honored Lee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021.

NATCHEZ, Miss. —  A full slate of Juneteenth 2024 programs will be celebrated this year throughout Natchez. The events will include music, tours, food, museum exhibitions, local government meeting, and a Civil War encampment, among other activities.

Juneteenth, which is short for “June 19th,” is one of the oldest known holidays commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

“Though the emancipation of enslaved people of African descent in the Natchez area began in force with the arrival of Union forces in July 1863, our national holiday to celebrate that newly found freedom is held each year on June 19th – acknowledging when the news of the end of the Civil War arrived in Texas,” said Jeff Mansell, Lead Historian of the Natchez National Historical Park.

This year’s programs in Natchez will include the following:

Melrose Through the Labor of Others: the McMurrans as Enslavers

June 10 – June 30

Beginning on June 10, and continuing throughout the month of June, a temporary exhibit in the Melrose slave quarters will provide additional information on the McMurran family and those people they held in bondage. It will include the currently known names of nearly 400 people enslaved by the McMurrans at Melrose and five plantations. This exhibit can be viewed free of charge every day between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Aldermen Meeting at NAPAC Museum

Tuesday, June 11, 11 a.m.

In June each year, the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen Meeting is held at the NAPAC museum, which is dedicated to presenting the history and culture of African Americans in not only Natchez but the entirety of the southern United States. This is an annual tradition started in June 2021. The meeting starts at 11 a.m. at 301 Main St.

Kick-Back at NAPAC

Thursday, June 13, 6 p.m.

This is a special event held by the City of Natchez and NAPAC Museum that honors citizens and businesses for their contributions to Natchez. The event is held at the museum. The public is encouraged to come and see the many wonderful artifacts displayed at the museum. Refreshments will be served. The program will be held at the museum at 301 Main St. For more information, call Bobby Dennis, the museum’s executive director, at 601-445-0728.

Natchez Welcomes Mississippi 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry

Thursday, June 13, all day

Re-enactors for the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry will ride into Natchez and set up camp on the Bluff, where they will engage the public and talk about the Cavalry’s history. The event is organized by Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley. He said the encampment is open to the public. It’s expected to include 200 to 300 participants. For more information, call Ser Boxley at 601-442-4719.

Natchez Day of Unity

Friday, June 14, (location to be determined)

The City of Natchez will hold its fifth annual Day of Unity event, the continuation of a tradition begun by former Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell during the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd incident. “Now held every June to coincide with Flag Day, this tradition has now become an integral part of the city’s annual Juneteenth celebration and is held at a rotating location every year,” said Mayor Dan Gibson. The time and location for this year’s event will be announced soon.

“We celebrate harmony with both song and spoken word,” said Gibson. “One of my favorite parts of this event is when the sounding of the bells of churches throughout the city ring out as a reminder that we are all children of God made uniquely in His image.”

The Juneteenth Extravaganza

Friday, June 14, 7 p.m.

This special event will celebrate Juneteenth through the music of several prominent blue artists at the Natchez City Auditorium. In addition to Melodic Princess, from Fayette, the list of artists will include LJ Echols, Avail Hollywood, OB Buchanan, and DJ Mario. Elias Lover III will serve as host. Carol Smith, owner of The Postal Shoppe, is spearheading the event, which she plans to hold each year. She said the performances offer a good mix of current and older blues artists, such as those who played during the Tyrone Davis era. Tickets are $40 for general admission. Presale cost is $30 until May 1. VIP tables that seat eight people are $400 per table. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. For more information, call Carol Smith at 214-551-9858 or 601-653-0490.

1st Annual Juneteenth Cheeseburger Challenge Cook-Off

Friday, June 14, 3-7 p.m.

97.7 FM and 1240 AM will kick off Juneteenth weekend with the first ever Cheeseburger Challenge on the Bluff. Five to 10 teams will compete head-to-head to see who makes the absolute best cheeseburger. Teams will grill live on-site in downtown Natchez between 3 and 7 p.m. Judging will take place at 5 p.m. WTYJ and WMIS will broadcast live on site with D.J. Buzz providing the soundtrack for the event. The contest will take place on N. Broadway St., in front of the Natchez Grand Hotel. Grand prizes include $400 for First Place, $200 for Second Place and “Bragging Rights.” This event is held by New Vision Broadcasting in partnership with the City of Natchez. For more information, contact Malcolm Innis at info@newvisionbroadcasting.com or by calling 601-442-2522.

Juneteenth Travel in Time Spring Fling

Saturday, June 15, 10-1 p.m.

NAACP in conjunction with area businesses will host its Community Carnival at the Concord Quarters. The event will combine fun, games and education for area youth. “It will, among other things, look to provide a fun and engaging environment to teach children the history of Juneteenth and why it is important,” said organizer Malcolm Innis, owner of New Vision Broadcasting. Community Carnival is held by New Vision Broadcasting in partnership with the City of Natchez. For more information, contact Malcolm Innis at info@newvisionbroadcasting.com or by calling 601-442-2522.

1st Annual Choir Showcase

Sunday, June 16, 3-7 p.m.

The first annual Juneteenth Choir Competition featuring five of the area’s “best choirs” will be held in recognition of Juneteenth in the Natchez City Auditorium. The event will showcase five area churches in a competition to see which choir will be awarded a cash prize and selected as the 1st Annual Juneteenth Choir Competition winner. Grand prizes will include $1,000 for First Place and $250 for Second Place. The Choir Showcase is held by 97.7 FM and 1240 AM in partnership with the City of Natchez. For more information, contact Malcolm Innis at info@newvisionbroadcasting.com or by calling 601-442-2522.

Melrose Juneteenth Luminary

Wednesday, June 19th, 7:30 p.m.

In commemoration of the Juneteenth holiday, Natchez National Historical Park will present a luminary on the front lawn at the Melrose estate at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 19th, at #1 Melrose-Montebello Parkway, Natchez. This grand illumination will be held in remembrance of the nearly 700 enslaved people who involuntarily labored at Melrose and on the associated cotton plantations of John and Mary Louisa McMurran.

The Melrose front gate will close at 5:00 p.m. that day and reopen at 7:30 p.m.  Visitors are asked to park in the main parking lot and walk to the lower portion of the front lawn where an area will be set aside specifically for solemn reflection. The public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and flashlights, as it will be dark. The observation will conclude at 9:30, and the gates will close at 10:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/natc

Melrose Juneteenth Tours

Wednesday, June 19th

Throughout the day on Wednesday, June 19th, the staff of the Natchez National Historical Park will provide tours of the Melrose mansion at #1 Melrose-Montebello Parkway, Natchez, that focus on the African American experience. The tours will highlight what is known about the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and labored at the estate as well as the system of slavery in this region that made such extravagant homes possible. Melrose house tours take place seven days a week at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. The cost for adults is $11.00 while children 15 and under are free. Tour tickets can be purchased at Melrose or online in advance at Recreation.gov.

For more information, visit www.nps.gov/natc

Juneteenth African American Tours

Entire month of June

Special tours focusing on African American history are offered in June in recognition of Juneteenth. They’re led by Rev’s Country Tours who tells the dramatic and significant stories of African Americans in Natchez. For more information, call 601-807-5337.