The West Leesburg Community Development Corporation (WLCDC) will hold its 9th Annual 2 Day Juneteenth Celebration on Friday, June 15 at 7:00pm and Saturday, June 16, 2012 from 11:00am - 5:00pm.

Activities include a Celebration Ceremony that will highlight the history of Juneteenth with guest speakers and entertainment on Friday evening at 7 pm at the Mary Banks Global Training Center, located at 2005 Johns Avenue in Leesburg, and a Community Picnic at Berry Park on Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm.  

Entertainment, food, fun, games, and vendors are included in the program for Berry Park, which is located across the street from Mary Banks Global Training Center.

This year’s event is also a memorial for Mr. Rodney Wiggins, a Carver Heights community resident, who introduced the Juneteenth Holiday Celebration to the city of Leesburg.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring the African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865.

Celebrated on June 19th, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth.  Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday in 37 states in the United States.