AUTHOR’S NOTE: I have a more current 2017 experience of Oberlin’s Juneteenth Festival at
https://ohiofestivals.net/juneteenth-oberlin/
This post documents my experience on June 16, 2012.
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Oberlin is one of those great Ohio hippie towns where words like “green,” “organic” and “local” are used in everyday conversation and “no shoes/no service” actually needs to be reinforced.
Crazy college kids.
Founded along with Oberlin College, the first college to regularly admit women and African-American students, the city of Oberlin has a long history of bettering the environment, practicing tolerance – no matter the sex, race or religion – and fighting for equality.
So, if ever a festival seemed suitable in this city noted for its role in the Underground Railroad…
. …it would be the Juneteenth Festival…
…a festival that celebrates a day (June 19, 1865) when the last remaining slaves of the country were finally free.
Taking place in Tappan Square…
…the heart of the festival took up one corner of the square…
…offering vendors with interesting hand-crafted items, like these detailed walking sticks…
…and this beautiful jewelry (Divine Designs)…
There was also a bit of food (french fries and snow cones)…
… a stage for musical entertainment…
…and a very intimate car show.
And while I wanted a lot more regarding the festival’s aforementioned characteristics, I was impressed on how local organizations came together…
…to teach us about civil rights (NAACP)…
…our voting rights (Oberlin League of Woman Voters)…
…and how to stay out of war.
They taught us about Oberlin heritage…
…through the Oberlin Heritage Center and the Oberlin Underground Railroad Society….
…and they taught how to preserve the earth through information on fracking…
…on ways to minimize the consumption of resources…
…and on how to maximize efficiency (POWER).
And, finally, they protected our histories (OAAGHG)…
…our futures (LCCS)…
…our faith…
…our freedom (American Legion Post 656)…
…and our lives (Lifeshare).
But don’t let me make you to think that this was a somber festival consisting of endless educational brochures and boring lectures.
Not at all.
Instead, it was an interesting small town festival made up of friendly volunteers who allowed festival goers to peek into an interesting community…,
…where the residents of Kendal took part in the festival’s traditional kickball game…
…a local girl scout troop tried to raise money for a celebratory trip…
…and, somewhere in Oberlin…
…Mrs. Hicks was the “bomb diggity.”
You bet she is!