Mitchelville, South Carolina — A City Rich with Black Heritage — confirms plans for The Annual Juneteenth Celebration

Mitchelville, South Carolina — A City Rich with Black Heritage — confirms plans for The Annual Juneteenth Celebration

     MITCHELVILLE, S.C. —Mitchelville Preservation Project has confirmed an expansive celebration of the 2018 Juneteenth Celebration presented by Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park on Hilton Head Island. The Celebration will reveal new interactive experiences that are significant to the era of Mitchelville in the Reconstruction Era, plus a live performance by Ranky Tanky. Admission tickets for the Juneteenth Celebration are $10 for general admission, free for children 10 and under. The 2018 Juneteenth Celebration presented Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park will be Saturday, June 15-16, 2018 in various locations in Historic Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The 2018 Juneteenth Celebration presented by Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park will feature a headline performance by the band Ranky Tanky. Ranky Tanky released their eponymous debut on Oct. 20th, 2017. By December of that year, the group had been profiled on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and their album soared to the #1 position on the Bill-board, iTunes, and Amazon Jazz Charts. Additional features of the 2018 Juneteenth Celebration will include a showing of “Language You Cry In,” a traditional drum call and ceremony, community Fish Fry, a soul-stirring performance by Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers, a historical re-enactment from a local favorite Cora Miller and more. As in past years the annual celebration will highlight the art, food and music customs of the people of Mitchelville.

Like Mitchelville’s freedom story, Juneteenth is a similar story. Also referred to as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a holiday in the United States that commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in June 1865 throughout the Confederate South. The immediate differences in the two stories end there, as the Juneteenth story embodies the perseverance of people who struggled to gain independence compared to Mitchelville, a thriving community on Hilton Head in Mitchelville.

Explore Mitchelville in the Reconstruction Era at the Juneteenth Celebration, a family friendly event in the park. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, but only limited seating is available, so chairs are encouraged. In addition to the onstage artistic display, local artist will be on site selling art created to depict traditional Low-country life. All tickets and event details are available at www.exploremitchelville.org.