7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration and 5K Run/Walk

The 7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 19 at Freedom Park in Lexington Park from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.!  The festival is produced by the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions (UCAC) and celebrates African American heritage in St. Mary's County.

The festivities this year include gospel singing by the legendary Winfield Parker, African dance and drumming, exhibits, the Minority Outreach Coalition Mini Health Fair, games, vendors, food and more.  Plus, there will also be an evening jazz concert featuring saxophonist Jaared!  To see the complete festival program, click here.

For fitness enthusiasts, there is also a Juneteenth/USCT Memorial Festival 5K Run/Walk to support the mission of the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions.  The 5K race will run through the old Lexington Manor neighborhood and on the paved path in adjacent Lancaster Park.  Both runners and walkers are invited to participate in the 5K.  Awards will be given to the top male and female overall, as well as to the top three males and females in each age group.  The entry fee for the 5K is $20 for pre-registrants or $25 on race day.  Register online at http://www.ucaconline.org/ or by mail.  Register on race day from 7:45 a.m. until 8:45 a.m.  The race begins at 9 a.m.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, two months after the surrender of General Lee and more than two years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, General Granger of the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3 - All slaves are free.

For more information about the Juneteenth Celebration or the 5K Run/Walk, contact the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions at 301-862-4868 or visit http://www.ucaconline.org/.

Get ready to celebrate!

This weekend is Maryland's 375th Birthday Celebration Weekend!

Starting tonight at 7 PM, come out to St. Mary's College of Maryland and enjoy the season opener of the River Concert Series. In honor of Maryland's 375th, Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis has written a special symphonic work entitled "In Terrae Mariae: A Creation Song," which makes its debut tonight and features spoken texts culled from early writings on Maryland's founding prepared by Jennifer Cognard-Black, Associate Professor of English at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Visit http://www.riverconcertseries.com/ or call 240-895-4107 for more information.

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 20, the celebration continues at Historic St. Mary's City from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a birthday extravaganza. Tour tall ships such as the Kalmar Nyckel, the Maryland Dove, the dory boat Potomac, and the Sultana, a reproduction 1768 schooner. Tap your feet to the music of Calico Jack, David Norris, David Hildebrand, and Ship's Company Chanteyman in the Town Center. Explore the Woodland Indian Hamlet, the Brick Chapel, and the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation and experience what life was like back when St. Mary's City was Maryland's capital. The event is free and there will also be plenty of vendors, children's acitvities, and 17th-century style entertainment to help you celebrate Maryland's 375th birthday. Don't miss another River Concert Series at St. Mary's College of Maryland at 7 PM. There will be fireworks after the concert! Visit http://www.stmaryscity.org/ or call 800-762-1634 for more information.

On Saturday, June 20, the Juneteenth Celebration African American Heritage Festival is being held at Freedom Park in Lexington Park from noon until 8 p.m. The festival is held annually as a celebration of cultural diversity and freedom! There will be an early evening jazz concert featuring Saxophonist Phillip Martin, Jazz and R&B Vocalist Shang, Gospel Singing with Rev. James Flowers, Jr., and African dance and drumming. You'll also enjoy exhibits, a Minority Outreach Coalition Mini Health Fair, games, vendors, and food. It's a great way to continue the celebration! Visit http://www.ucaconline.org/ or call 301-862-4868 for more information.

For all of you race fans, don't miss Pinks All Out on Saturday, June 20 at Maryland International Raceway! Speed TV will be filming an episode of Pinks All Out, where hundreds of the best drag racers in the country will bring their game to MIR in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold hard cash. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all-day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile! This is a ticketed event. Please visit http://www.mirdrag.com/ or call 301-884-9833 for more information.

Then, on Sunday, celebrate Maryland's 375th (and Father's Day too!) with the College of Southern Maryland in Leonardtown at the Celebrate Family, Fun and Fitness event! From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., enjoy fitness demos, fun lawn games, a 3.75-mile walk through historic downtown Leonardtown and more. Visit www.csmd.edu/familyfun or call 301-934-7703 or 240-725-5312 for more information.

So this weekend, come down to St. Mary's County and celebrate Maryland's 375th!