DENVER — Thousands celebrated Juneteenth at the annual Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver's historic Five Points neighborhood on Sunday.
Juneteenth marks the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free -- two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
But despite the condensed one-day event due to a decline in sponsorship, the spirit of the celebration was alive during one of the city's oldest parades, which started at Manual High School and made its way down Welton Street.
"The Juneteenth Parade is just a fun way to start off the whole festival, bringing the community together as one," said parade coordinator Chiniqua Jackson last week.
First established in the 1950s, Denver’s Juneteenth Parade has grown significantly over the decades and now features over 100 groups marching through the historic Five Points neighborhood.
"It is a lot of work, but it's always fun to see everything come together at the end," said Jackson.
The growing recognition of Juneteenth is shown in the increased participation and enthusiasm surrounding the event.
Denver7 is a proud partner of the Juneteenth Music Festival, and Denver7 anchor and reporter Micah Smith emceed many of the mainstage performances.
The event continues until 8 p.m.
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