Nashville African American Wind Symphony to perform at Fort Negley on Juneteenth
Nashville African American Wind Symphony to perform at Fort Negley on Juneteenth
Event to bring back more performers, vendors, food trucks and fireworks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 23, 2023) – This year’s Juneteenth615 celebration at Fort Negley Park will feature a special performance from the Nashville African American Wind Symphony. The musical group, which includes more than 50 Black classical musicians, will perform on Monday, June 19, at the historical site.
“The Nashville African American Wind Symphony is a cultural treasure,” said Jeneene Blackman, executive director of the African American Cultural Alliance. “We are enamored of their talent and consider them an excellent choice for this year’s Juneteenth celebration, which is falling on AACA’s 40th anniversary year.”
More artists and performers will be announced closer to the June event, and attendees can expect to enjoy food trucks, a kids’ corner, vendors and a fireworks finale. Additionally, while on the historic grounds, attendees can take site tours and stop by the visitor center.
To learn more about this year’s Juneteenth615 celebration at Fort Negley, along with other Nashville Juneteenth celebration announcements, visit Juneteenth615.com or follow the event on Facebook and Instagram. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsorship opportunities for this year’s event can visit Juneteenth615.com/sponsorship for more information.
About Juneteenth615 and Juneteenth
Put on by the African American Cultural Alliance and creative agency Fellavision, Juneteenth615 is one of Nashville’s official Juneteenth celebrations, held annually on June 19 at Fort Negley Park in commemoration of the day when notice of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, informing former slaves of their freedom. The first observation of Juneteenth took place in Texas the following year, and celebrations soon spread to other states and have continued to today.
About Fort Negley Park
As the largest inland stone fortification built during the Civil War, Fort Negley stood as the centerpiece of Union-occupied Nashville. From August through December 1862, more than 2,700 conscript laborers, predominately runaway slaves and free Blacks, constructed Fort Negley, atop St. Cloud Hill, as part of a massive fortification system. The site’s artillery was instrumental in driving off attacks during the Battle of Nashville on Dec. 15 and 16, 1864, and many of the freed slaves who built and defended Fort Negley eventually created neighborhoods like Edgehill, Edgefield and Jefferson Street. The site, which now includes accessible walkways and a visitor center, is listed as a Site of Memory in the Slave Route Project of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
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Media Contact:
Brooke Kelly
(615) 259-4000
bkelly@mpf.com
