Not all changes forced by the pandemic have been for the worse.
In the case of celebrating Juneteenth in Bartholomew County, scheduling altered by COVID-19 may serve as more of a benefit.
On Saturday, the national holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States will be recognized and celebrated in Columbus on Fourth Street.
The free event, from 2 to 9 p.m., is the first in a four-part Ethnic Expo Event Series that represents a collaboration among the Columbus Area Visitors Center and a variety of ethnic and cultural organizations.
Traditionally, Ethnic Expo is held over just two days in the fall. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, organizers have spaced the celebrations out over multiple weekends for 2021.
For Juneteenth, the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area Chapter of the NAACP is working alongside the visitors center to bring in 20 vendors. There will be six live acts throughout the day, as well as educational opportunities for patrons to learn about Black history.
Making Juneteenth a part of Ethnic Expo was a brilliant move by all those involved.
While local Juneteenth gatherings have taken place since 2002, at places such as Donner Center and Ninth Street Park, attendance has fluctuated over the years.
Moving the event downtown, and making it a part of one of the best-attended events of the year, will draw not just more people this year, but for future celebrations. Most Juneteenth events draw 200 to 300 people each year as opposed to the thousands that typically come out for Expo.
Depending on how the next few events go, organizers should consider keeping the new scheduling. By holding it across multiple weekends, each culture gets their own day of focus.
Columbus’ diversity is special, and we’re glad that Juneteenth is being highlighted via Expo this year thanks to the work of many.
