TOPEKA — A week of Juneteenth events celebrating freedom, culture and community culminated with a daylong gathering at Hillcrest Park, where families, vendors, performers and community members came together for the 13th Annual Topeka Family & Friends Juneteenth Celebration.
The free event was the final activity in a weeklong series of Juneteenth programs organized by the Topeka Family & Friends Juneteenth Celebration committee. Activities included a Miss Juneteenth Pageant, a gospel extravaganza, youth activities, a scholarship banquet, a parade and car show, and a fashion show before the community-wide celebration at Hillcrest.
We missed the parade on Fri., June 19. Yikes, we had the wrong time on the brain. So thanks to those whose photos I pulled to help share Topeka’s parade with our readers and followers. Thanks to all who welcomed us at the organization’s celebration at Hillcrest Park on Sat., June 20, where families and friends enjoyed food, entertainment and fellowship throughout the day.
Topeka’s celebration also included a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony and Unity Walk at the Kansas State Capitol. A photo from that event, provided by Stacey Knoell of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, features Norma Avery, founder of the Topeka Family & Friends Juneteenth Celebration.
Avery has been one of the area’s leading advocates for preserving and expanding Juneteenth observances for years, helping organize celebrations long before Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Community records show the organization has been hosting annual Juneteenth events in Topeka for more than a decade.