Niagara’s annual Emancipation Day celebrations will return to live events this month.
Organized by Matter of Black (MOB) and BlackOwned905 in partnership with FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, the four-day event will feature workshops, live performances and a vendor market at Lakeside Park and downtown St. Catharines.
The event marking pride and solidarity among the Black Canadian community is returning from two years of virtual and hybrid celebrations.
Performing arts centre programming director Sara Palmieri said the event is meant to “remember, honour and respect the struggles of freedom that Black Canadians experience, while continuing to learn and celebrate.”
In years past, the Emancipation Day Picnic at Lakeside Park would attract upwards of 8,000 people from Toronto to Owen Sound, with some attending from Virginia and Tennessee.
The Emancipation Day Picnic has been held in St. Catharines since 1924.
The raising of the Pan-African flag at city hall will kick off the festivities Friday at 2 p.m.
Events on Saturday will include the Black Owned 905 Market with DJ Rennie from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. along with a performance by SHAD at 5:45 p.m., in front of the performing arts centre at 250 St. Paul St.
Sunday will offer an open house and tour talk at Salem Chapel BME Church on Geneva Street from noon to 4 p.m.
Emancipation Day at Lakeside Park on Monday will feature music and activities all day, including a drumming performance by Alpha Rhythm Roots at 2 p.m., a spoken word performance by poet Dwayne Morgan at 6:30 p.m. and a concert by local legends LMT Connection at 7 p.m.
All events are free.
For a full list of Emancipation Day activities visit www.firstniagarapac.ca.
