By Charles Owens
For Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield — Juneteenth activities across the region will begin Friday evening with a free movie at the Granada Theater on Commerce Street in downtown Bluefield.
According to the Juneteenth Commission of Mercer County, the movie “Sarah’s Oil” will be shown for free at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 19, at the Granda Theater.
In Bluefield, the two-day event will feature unity, culture and community, according to the commission.
A celebration will follow on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the downtown area of Bluefield with live music, food trucks, vendors and more.
All area residents are invited and encouraged to participate in the celebration.
The two-day event seeks to honor the past, celebrate the present and inspire the future, according to the Juneteenth Commission of Mercer County.
In neighboring Tazewell County, three days of activities will be held for the eighth annual Juneteenth celebration set for June 19, 20 and 21, according to the Friends of Juneteenth of Tazewell County.
The activities begin on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Tazewell Train Station and Visitors Center, located at 135 Railroad Avenue, North Tazewell, with a showing of the documentary film “A Silent Fire.” The movie was directed by Tazewell native Macie Alford and produced by Jorge Rey of Beartown Film Bureau.
Then on Saturday, June 20, activities will include a parade with festivities beginning at 11 a.m. at the Altizer Stage on Main Street in downtown Tazewell. Events will include poetry readings, songs, dance, children’s skits and an honoring of elders. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Darrin Martin, who serves as the president of Bluefield State University.
The parade will be begin at 1 p.m. and extend from Main Street to Carline Avenue.
Then on Sunday, June 21, a worship service and Sunday dinner will be held at 11 a.m. at Nuckolls Hall, which is located at the Tazewell County Fairgrounds.
“We try to keep with the historic traditions of how Juneteenth has been celebrated, but do new things too,” Jeanette Wilson, chair of the Friends of Juneteenth planning committee, said in a press release.
The group has been working since March to prepare for the celebration, and the committee is composed of members from throughout the county.
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