Monday
September 16, 2024 
On the eve of Juneteenth, the federal holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they had been freed, Bucks County residents attended the 2nd annual Juneteenth Celebration at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown.
Two of the organizers — Bucks County residents Adrienne King and Angela Nutter — talked about its significance.
“While the percentage of Black people in Bucks may be a lower number, we know that there is representation here, so one of our goals for the event is to bring the Black community together,” said King. “Juneteenth is about highlighting Black vendors and history, being able to find people that are from this county that can do that for us.”
Nutter, who came up through the Central Bucks School District agreed that representation in the community is important.
Those struggles aside, they indicated they were committed to creating a fantastic free event.
This year’s celebration started differently. It began at the Second Baptist Church of Doylestown. Brenda Hamlin and Joan Toller were stationed at a table for the church later in the day.
“I thought it started out great,” stated Hamlin. “It was really a blessing and a great opportunity to start with our church having a service. This was great to be able to share with a greater community.”
She stressed the importance of keeping the church as a focus for the Juneteenth celebration.
Toller agreed and said, “It’s deep-rooted in us. It’s in our culture and has been in us since we were very young.”
On the Mercer Green, the event included live music, a DJ, vendors, games. Speaking engagements and presentations took place in the Elkins Gallery.
Vendor Allan Wade of “A-Dubb Productions” was excited to show off his brand. Along with the opportunity to sell his products, Wade was pleased with the turnout.
“I like how so many people come through and celebrate with us. People from all different walks of life. All different ethnicities.”
Vanessa Hargrove of “MsVsSewNspired” displayed her handmade decor at her table. Hargrove was the first vendor to arrive at the event and was excited to get the day started. Hargrove’s assistant, Ronnie Brown, had a few things to say about the day. “This is a beautiful event, and I lived in Bucks County for about 20 years,” said Brown. “This area needs something like this. My kids, who are now 50 and 45, would have loved something like this growing up. This is just wonderful.”
Sponsoring the event were Doylestown Juneteenth, the African Diaspora Collective of Bucks County, the PairUP Society, the Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, the NAACP of Bucks County, and the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle.
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