JFest

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JFest is an annual festival held in Gainesville, Florida that celebrates the Juneteenth holiday. It is also a juried art show, and has musical performances, a Youth Talent Showcase, and a carnival.

Gainesville, Florida City in Florida, United States

Gainesville is the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida, metropolitan statistical area. The US Census Bureau estimated Gainesville's population at 133,857 in 2018, a 7.4% increase from 2010. Gainesville is the largest city in the North Central Florida region. The Gainesville metropolitan statistical area had an estimated population of 288,212 in 2018.

Juneteenth Holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865

Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America, outside Native American lands. Texas was the most remote of the slave states, and the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, was not enforced there until after the Confederacy collapsed. The name of the observance is a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth", the date of its celebration. Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in 46 of the 50 states.

A juried competition is a competition in which participants' work is judged by a person or panel of persons convened specifically to judge the participants' efforts, either by the competition's stated rubric or by a subjective set of criteria dependent upon the nature of the competition or the judges themselves. For example, in a juried competition where participants compete against each other for a monetary prize, for inclusion in a show or publication, or for representation by a gallery, the work presented is judged by one or more persons, often experts, for such prize, inclusion, or representation.

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The festival attracts artists from all across the country and even some artists from other countries.

Juneteenth, or June 19, was first celebrated in 1865 and recognizes the day that the last slaves in the United States received word of their freedom as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth is an occasion for celebrating independence, family, and community. It is also a day of self-empowerment. JFest 2007 seeks to promote these goals through a month-long series of events that commemorate Juneteenth, Yulee Railroad Days, and African American Music Month. JFest also seeks to raise awareness of environmental health impacts within the African American community.

JFest is produced by The Cotton Club Museum & Cultural Center, Inc. (CCMCC). The CCMCC is a sustainable rehabilitation project of a former African American music hall located in East Gainesville, FL.

Mission

The Cotton Club Museum & Cultural Center, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of African American history and culture through fine, folk, and performing arts.

Vision

The Juneteenth Festival & Juried Art Show will be a multidimensional showcase of fine, folk, and performing arts dedicated to the preservation of the rich heritage of people of African ancestry.

Sustainability

JFest seeks to promote environmental awareness amongst festival participants. To this end, we will be featuring alternative fuel vehicles and providing as much access to the grounds through community shuttles as possible, as well as attempting to "green" the event in other ways.

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