Where you can celebrate Juneteenth in East Idaho

It’s Juneteenth, also called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.

It is the commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free, two and a half years after President Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation. 

There are a couple of events taking place in our communities to celebrate the day.

In Idaho Falls, the Colonial Theater will be filled with the sounds of music as bands and choirs take people on a musical journey. 

The “Red Velvet Evening at the Colonial,” starts at 7 p.m. with a history of the holiday beginning with a Reader’s Theater by a local children’s theater group.

Complimentary red velvet cupcakes, a traditional Juneteenth snack, will be served by Love At First Bite.

In Pocatello, a celebration will take place on the weekend.

The Pocatello branch of the NAACP will hold its annual celebration on Saturday.

The event will be held at the Pocatello Senior Activity Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It will feature ethnic food, games, raffles and children's activities, as well as a red velvet baking contest.