Community members are invited to attend the City of Tampa’s Fourth Annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony and Festival on Friday, June 16, 2023.
The event will take place outside Old City Hall, located at 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thanks to the Tampa Bay Juneteenth Coalition and its commitment to youth engagement, the Blake High School ROTC, Ms. Juneteenth, and Little Ms. Juneteenth will each play a role in the flag raising ceremony alongside Mayor Jane Castor, the Juneteenth Coalition members, and the Buffalo Soldiers.
Once the flag is raised over Old City Hall at 11 a.m., the event will continue with a festival beginning at noon across the street in Lykes Gaslight Park.
This year, the City is inviting community members to record their personal memories and family history as part of a story gathering project to further develop Tampa’s SoulWalk initiative.
SoulWalk is an interactive African American cultural and heritage trail. The first phase of this ongoing art initiative involved connecting existing African American landmarks, artwork, and historical markers spanning 46 miles and 25 Tampa neighborhoods.
In addition to the SoulWalk story sharing station, the festival will feature nearly two dozen arts and cultural exhibitors, non-profits, and food vendors at Lykes Gaslight Park.
“Our community is strongest when we come together in unity and understanding,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “Juneteenth provides us with an opportunity to recognize the resilience, heritage, and achievements of the Black community. We look forward to celebrating the diversity that makes Tampa great.”
The City of Tampa is encouraging organizations with summer camps to bring their youth downtown to hear the history and witness the Juneteenth flag being raised over City Hall.
In addition to raising the Juneteenth flag over Old City Hall, Mayor Jane Castor is issuing a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth’s historical significance to the City of Tampa. Old City Hall, Curtis Hixon Park and the downtown bridges will shine yellow, red, and green from June 16 to June 19 to further commemorate the importance of this occasion.
Media outlets planning to attend the ceremony and festival are asked to RSVP by emailing media@tampagov.net