Community, art, and health took center stage at vibrant four-day Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Lake Charles, featuring engaging events, diverse performances, and free healthcare services

The 2023 Juneteenth Freedom Festival held four days of fun-filled events in Lake Charles on June 16-19, including a movie under the stars, free healthcare screens, and participation from small and large business vendors.

Dianna Ross, director of community affairs at Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services, explained that the organization first put together the Juneteenth celebration in 2019, pre-COVID. Still, after Hurricanes Laura and Delta destroyed much of southwest Louisiana, the festival did not return until 2022.

“For the Center, we started doing Juneteenth activities in 2019,” Ross said. “This event gives us a chance to have a full look at who we are as a people, black men, black women, black children, and our position in health care. It’s really where we started. We started it to do a free dental day for the community, which turned into a Juneteenth Festival.”

This year, the Juneteenth Freedom Festival was honored to have sponsors that included Phillips 66, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Jeff Davis Bank, Healthy Blue, Southwest Louisiana Credit Union, Lake City Trucking, Aetna, Home Health 2000, Ron Richard Law Firm LLC and many more. 

Local candidates in the primary election on Saturday, October 14, also attended the community presentation pop-up shops. They spoke to constituents about the processes and policies they hope to improve after being elected. 

The weekend of activities started on Friday with a movie and games for the children. The traditional dental day has expanded to include other health services, such as the 2023 SWLA Center for Health Services scholarship award presentation and the first annual Juneteenth worship service at Mount Olive Baptist Church. The theme was  “Music, Men, Matters.”

The official day of observance included a BBQ cook-off, parade, pop-up vendor shop, and live entertainment from various local artists. At the Lake Charles Civic Center’s exhibition hall, there were Juneteenth pop-up shops, vendors, and food trucks. 

Live entertainment included Carnegie Hall-bound vocalist Nebu Nezey, author and poet Ashley Montegut, and musicians Javis Daigle and Jarvis Jacobs and the Gents. Local dance companies Vintage Dolls and Exquisite Golden Bells, Dynasty Dance Company, and Diamond Divas Dance of Lake Charles entertained the crowd with their precise dance moves.

The night ended with performances by Rusty Metoyer and the Zydeco Krush, followed by a lakefront fireworks show.