Henrico's 4th-annual Juneteenth Celebration draws more than 17,000 to Dorey Park

More than 17,000 people packed Dorey Park on Saturday for the fourth-annual Henrico County Juneteenth Celebration. The event offered a day of family fun, with performances on two stages, an expanded vendor fair, historical and educational exhibits, a kids’ zone and fireworks.
"We want to educate and talk about the importance of what Juneteenth is, particularly to the African American community," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Tyrone E. Nelson, of the Varina District. "But it is a countywide event. ... It's an awesome crowd here today with a lot of energy."
Juneteenth - also known as the "Day of Freedom" - honors the events of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers delivered word to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas that they had been freed under President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863.
Henrico County government offices and courts will be closed Wednesday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. For more information on the holiday, visit henrico.us/his....