Manhattan is celebrating Juneteenth all week long starting Monday, June 13- Sunday, June 19! Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Today Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievement while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. This week will be packed full of activities from a movie night, art auction, live music, Zumba class, unity walks and so much more! Read on for more details.
Juneteenth Downtown Art Walk
June 3rd-15th artwork will be placed in the windows of several downtown businesses. These pieces are created by local artists to the theme of "Freedom. Strength. Resilience." All pieces will be up for auction on Thursday, June 16.
Juneteenth Movie Night: BlackKklansman
On Monday, June 13 watch the movie BackKklansman at Forum Hall in the K-State Union. This movie is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Stallworth makes a name for himself as he works to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. This movie is free to watch and will start at 6:30 p.m.
Juneteenth Lecture Series
Co-writter of BlackKklansman, Kevin Willmott will be featured in Wednesday, June 15's lecture series. Kevin is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter, and professor of film at the University of Kansas. Kevin will be speaking on this week's theme of Freedom/Strength/Resilience and what that means in 2022. This lecture will be held in the Shamrock Zone at Bill Snyder Family Stadium form 7-9 p.m.
Meet & Greet
Head to the Douglass Activity Center from 6-7 p.m. on June 16 for a meet & greet with K-State coaches for football, basketball, baseball, tennis and track. Light refreshments will be available after the meet and greet.
Juneteenth Art Auction
Did you find a favorite piece of art on the Downtown Art Walk? Head to the Douglass Activities Center on Thursday, June 16 for the Juneteenth Art Auction. Local artists have illustrated this year's theme of "Freedom, Strength, Resilience" on several different pieces of art. Starting at 7 p.m. there will be a public auction for all the artwork submitted.
Juneteenth Grilling Contest
Get your taste buds ready for a Grilling contest on Friday, June 17. Compete or help judge to find the best BBQ in Manhattan. For just $5 you will get a complete taster kit and a sampling of all the admissions.
Juneteenth Arts in the Park
Arts in the Park is one of Manhattan's signature summer activities. Join the Juneteenth celebrations at City Park on Friday, June 17 starting at 8 p.m. for a free concert from Private Property performing hits from the 70s-2021.
Juneteenth Fitness Experience
Burn some extra calories on Saturday morning for Juneteenth. This will be a 6 part health and fitness experience including a 5K Unity Run/Walk, Yoga in the Park, Community Boot Camp, Zumba, and ending with a Unity Walk. Come conquer all 6 or just one of these on Saturday morning, June 18, from 7-12 a.m.
Juneteenth Celebrations
The fitness experience is just the start of a whole day of celebrations on Saturday, June 18. From 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., you can find several different events happening in City Park from car art, food trucks, bouncy house, car wash, dance contest and much more.
Juneteenth Music Festival
The fun doesn't stop there. End the day with a music festival from 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Mo'Town Unlimited will be performing at City Park. Join in on the fun and come dressed to impress in your Motown best!
For more information on these events visit ManhattanJuneteenth.org. Photos courtesy of Manhattan KS Juneteenth.
