JUNETEENTH MUSIC FESTIVAL WWW.JUNETEENTHMUSICFESTIVAL.COM | HISTORIC FIVE POINTS, DENVER CO.

2014 Final Report

JUNETEENTH MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Juneteenth Music Festival occurred on Saturday June 14, 2014 in the Historic 5 Points district of Denver, Colorado. The festival serviced 20,000+ attendees who were able to experience an excess of 150 merchandise, civic and market place vendors.

The festival featured the annual Juneteenth Parade, Youth Engagement Zone, Wellness Education Zone, Green Eco Education Zone, live art exhibits, Miss Juneteenth Pageant and a feature performance from Les Nubians, a Grammy nominated and world recognized recording duo. Overall, the Juneteenth Music Festival provided value for the surrounding community by connecting its community with local organizations who raise awareness surrounding important health and ecological issues along with fostering interactions with elected officials, community leaders, and local businesses.

MISSION

Our mission is to engage the community with the historical significance of Juneteenth, while creating a framework for economic, educational and social empowerment in youth and adults.

HISTORY Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865; the day that Texas slaves learned of their freedom. It is commemorated across the United States and is an official holiday in Texas. In Denver, the Juneteenth celebration began in the early 1950’s and eventually grew to be the nation’s largest celebration of its kind in the 1980’s. As economic and social challenges began to plague Denver in the early 1990’s, Juneteenth’s image was negatively impacted due to violence during the festival, resulting in declining attendance and public support. In the early 2000’s several groups of community leaders worked to keep the festival as a part of the city’s heritage, but were unable to attract large masses of attendees seen in the festival’s heyday. In 2012, Juneteenth Music Festival LLC. was formed by a group of entrepreneurs who recognized the opportunity to reinvent the image of Juneteenth and rebrand the celebration to the city of Denver. Through the coordination of local community resource organizations, city government, and corporate sponsors the group was able to rejuvenate the festival to its highest excitement and attendance levels. In 2013, the Juneteenth Music Festival expanded its reach and programming through increased participation of vendors, corporate and civic partners. The festival successfully facilitated The Miss Juneteenth Pageant, Juneteenth Parade, Juneteenth Car Show, Youth Engagement Zone and Juneteenth Music Festival Concert. In 2014, Juneteenth Music Festival aimed to improve the consciousness of its community focusing on Health and Environmental awareness. Partnering with Green For All, Livewell Colorado, 350org Denver and others, the festival created its first Green and Wellness Zones. Attendees learned composting and recycling strategies along with urban farming demonstrations.

2014 HIGHLIGHTS

Kicking off with its Miss Juneteenth Pageant, 7 distinguished young ladies participated in the our Pageant hosted by City Councilman Albus Brooks and attended by Denver’s first Lady, Mary Louise Lee in the Crossroads Theater on Five Points. 1,500 parade participants, including Mayor Michael Hancock, Chief of Police Robert White, Councilman Albus Brooks, Rep. Rhonda Fields, Rep. Angela Williams, Rep. Beth McCann, VIPs and community leaders participated in the parade. Announcements of participants in the parade were made by Dr. Jim “Dr. Daddio” Walker of AM 760 and Denver Radio staple of over 35 years. Saturday night’s festivities ended with a 1 hour performance by Gammy nominated duo, Les Nubians.

In 2014, the Juneteenth Music Festival increased its programming from 2013, by facilitating its first Eco Wellness Area and Wellness Zone. These areas withing the Festival gave attendees the opportunity to connect with local organizations dedicated to raising awareness surrounding health and environmental issues. 12 local elementary and middle schools participated by creating murals covering various topics including the history of Juneteenth and illustrating the effects of climate change.

2014 COLLATERAL & PROGRAMMING

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ZONE (Y.E.Z.)

Focusing on education, community engagement, and entertainment, the Juneteenth Music Festival teamed with 12 community resource organizations supporting youth to create the Youth Engagement Zone. Along with interactive art projects and urban farming demonstrations, the festival facilitated a program where young entrepreneurs participated as vendors. Participants trained two weeks and received education on the local and historical significance of Juneteenth while developing tactics and business skills to produce a profitable booth. The overall aim of the festival for youth participation was to provide information and opportunities to be engaged in Juneteenth and be able to connect with local organizations that support education enrichment.

MISS JUNETEENTH PAGEANT

Miss Juneteenth is the brand ambassador of the Juneteenth Music Festival. Her mission is to educate youth on the historical significance of the holiday and engage the public in the celebration through service to her community. After a 4 year hiatus in 2013, the Juneteenth Music Festival successfully facilitated the Miss Juneteenth Pageant. 7 young women (ages 14 – 18) competed to be crowned as the festival’s brand ambassador. Contestants were required to submit an essay regarding the historical significance of Juneteenth, perform 5 hours of service for the Ronald McDonald House and attend bi-monthly pageant training, which included instructions on public speaking, leadership and professional /ballroom etiquette.

Miss Juneteenth and Colorado

Governor John Hickenlooper

DEMOGRAPHICS / DATA

Attendance - 20,000

Men | Women - 42% | 58%

Ages

Under 18 - 15%

18 - 24 - 9%

25 - 35 - 21%

35 - 44 - 22%

45 - 64 - 19%

55 - 64 - 10%

65+ - 4%

2014 JMF MILESTONES

Participation • 2013 Vendor Booth Participants ~ 150 (138 in 2013) Attendance

• Attendance ~20,000

Increased Community Impact •Developed and created partnerships for future involvement with corporate sponsors, community resource organizations and elected officials Increased Visibility

•Established working relationships with media sponsors (Urban Spectrum, Five Points News, Denver Weekly News, The Denver Post, Sandbox Radio, KUVO, and continued the growth of general public awareness of Juneteenth and its significance in Denver and surrounding communities

Improved Perception

•Successfully rebranded Denver’s Juneteenth celebration as the Juneteenth Music Festival

2013 JMF MILESTONES CONT.

Increased Corporate Sponsor Participation CenturyLink, The Bean Foundation, US Bank, McDonalds, The Denver Foundation, Hennessy, Engage 8, Angel Flight Track Club, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Janus Capital Group, Big O Tires, Xcel Energy, RTD, Five Points Business District, Belvedere, Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Albus Brooks District 8, Five Points Business District, Brandis Meeks, Pipkin-Braswell, Coffee at the Point, Five Points Plaza Co-Ordinated the US Bank Juneteenth Emerging Business Program • Partnered with US Bank and the Denver Office of Economic Development to create the US Bank Juneteenth Emerging

Business Program, which assisted participating vendors in licensing, setting up business accounts and business planning Non Profit Fiscal Partners: Engage8, Angel Flight Track Club Safety • 2012 – 2013 | Zero safety events

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS