In Lewiston, more than 100 people turned out for a performance, parade and festival celebrating Juneteenth on Wednesday. Event organizers said they wanted to bring the community together, recognizing both joy and grief.
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the U.S. following the Civil War. Celebrated for generations in Texas and across the South, it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Lewiston's celebration was spearheaded by Maine Inside Out, an arts organization that works with Mainers who are or have been incarcerated.
Co-executive director Joseph Jackson said today's event was meant to balance celebration and grief.
"The purpose of today's event is to bring everybody together to show the beauty and diversity of Lewiston [and] also show the resilience of this town since we've been through some really hard things as of late," he said.
In addition to last October's mass shooting, Jackson said many families in the city continue to struggle with the impacts of drug abuse and incarceration.
The event featured specific activities to acknowledge that grief.
"We have a ritual," Jackson said, "We will be writing names of folks that have been lost, things that people are grieving."
Then, participants were encouraged to place flower petals in a bucket of water to represent their losses.
After a short play at The Public Theatre, participants hoisted banners and paraded to Kennedy Park alongside a marching band.
Jackson said he grew up celebrating Juneteenth in Texas, and said it was "amazing" to see the holiday now recognized nationwide.
The Lewiston celebration was one of several Juneteenth events happening around the state this week.
Tobey MacCachran contributed to this report.
