Milwaukee’s Summerfest partners with Northcott Neighborhood House for Juneteenth
Summerfest and Northcott Neighborhood House are partnering to bring Juneteenth programming to the festival for the first time in its history.
Summerfest and Northcott Neighborhood House, the host of Milwaukee’s traditional Juneteenth Day celebration, are partnering to bring Juneteenth programming to the festival for the first time in its history, according to a press release from Summerfest.
The special Juneteenth programming will start at 6 p.m. on the festival grounds, following the traditional parade and festival on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
Summerfest officials said the special opening ceremony with Northcott Neighborhood House will recognize Juneteenth Day with performances, remarks from representatives, and special acknowledgment of Juneteenth scholarship recipients, including Ms. Juneteenth, Mr. Juneteenth, Little Ms. Juneteenth, and Little Mr. Juneteenth.
Summerfest organizers also announced the first artists confirmed for the Juneteenth Day celebration at Summerfest, which include:
• Gary Clark Jr. • Bone Thugs-N-Harmony • Ginuwine • Joy Oladokun • Mike Jones
Dedicated programming and music during Juneteenth Day at the Summerfest grounds will take place across multiple festival ground stages.
“We are honored to develop a new partnership with Northcott Neighborhood House to commemorate Juneteenth Day,” Sarah Pancheri, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., said in a release to WISN 12 News. “Milwaukee’s Juneteenth festival and Summerfest are longstanding events in our community, which speak to our tradition as The City of Festivals.”
“Our partnership with Summerfest is significant to sharing the Juneteenth Day celebration and history with our city and visitors. The extended entertainment and programming planned at Summerfest to commemorate the Juneteenth Day holiday will be part of the legacy of our longstanding position as one of the largest and oldest celebrations in the country,” Northcott Neighborhood House Executive Director Tony Kearney said in the release.
