Buda will hold their 4th Juneteenth event

BUDA — The city of Buda will host its fourth annual Juneteenth event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 17 to educate residents and celebrate the federal holiday.

Kimberley Iglesias’ earliest memory of Juneteenth was the year before it was signed in as a federal holiday.

“My earliest memory of Juneteenth is 2020 before it became a national holiday. I was like, ‘What is this thing called Juneteenth for?’ Being African-American, I felt sad that I wasn’t aware of it,” said Iglesias. “Once I learned about it, I embraced it. And I’ve been a part of the Juneteenth celebrations ever since.”

The Buda resident now serves as chair of the Juneteenth Community Celebration Committee, a team that encourages the education and celebration of the holiday.

“A lot of people are not aware of the origin of Juneteenth. Freed slaves in the state of Texas were not aware that they were freed … So, for two and a half years, slaves were just free-ish and a lot of people were not aware that the state of Texas was still kind of holding on to slaves,” explained Iglesias. “[When] General Granger gave the proclamation that all slaves were free, you can’t even imagine the jubilee and the exhilaration — learning that somebody’s mother was free, and somebody’s father was free; somebody’s sisters and brothers were free.”

This year, the committee wants to focus on educating  residents, while also celebrating the community, by inviting local vendors, credit unions and banks and a blood drive, as well as descendants of the Antioch Colony. The village is a 500-acre plot located in Buda, where freed slaves could purchase an acre for $5. Having a community filled with various cultures and a historical colony right in its backyard creates a special meaning to the city.

“The public response has been pretty great. [The event] grows every year … We’ve decided that it’s going to be a community event, so we’re celebrating Juneteenth, but we’re also celebrating our community … We want to make sure that we encompass the entire community,” Iglesias said.

Ya’Ke Smith, director of Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom, will be a keynote speaker at the event. His documentary depicting the experience of Juneteenth through a Black man’s eyes will be shown throughout the month as an educational piece to the event. The next screening will take place at 5 p.m. on June 10 at the Buda Municipal Complex.

This year, the Juneteenth Community Celebration Committee is expecting up to 350 residents to participate in the festivities. As the event continues in its upward trajectory, the committee has more ambitions in the future such as parades, a tri-city celebration and street fairs throughout the year.

The event will feature food, fun and music for all ages on June 17 at the Buda Amphitheater and City Park, located at 204 San Antonio St., Buda.

For more information, visit www.budaamphitheater.com/calendar/juneteenth.