ROCKFORD, Ill. (WREX) — The largest Juneteenth event in the entire state of Illinois is held in Rockford each year, drawing dozens of vendors. 

Juneteenth is also the newest federally recognized holiday after officially being added in 2021. This makes it the first to be added since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983 and only the 11th celebrated throughout the entire year.

With the holiday being celebrated across the country, the Boone County Museum of History said an addition this like comes with a great amount of significance.

"It’s very, very significant and as it should be federally recognized. It’s a very important day for African Americans and it’s a very important day for the country as a whole just celebrating real freedom," Natali Monaghan, the Executive Director of the museum said.

Carolyn Williams-Stewart marked her second year as a vendor at Rockford’s Juneteenth event this year and said coming back was a no-brainer as she decided how she would mark the important day.

"Today is Freedom Day. Today is a celebration of Juneteenth and why would I not be here? So, we have to come here. We have to support. We have to be here as entrepreneurs as well," Williams-Stewart said.

Audra Webb also returned for her second year and was not taking for granted how special an event like this one is as a lifelong Rockford resident.

"It’s an awesome experience to be able to be able to be out here with all the other vendors and then seeing all the different shirts and then just to know the reason that we’re out here today is because of Juneteenth. To celebrate with everyone here," Webb said.

Elizabeth Adedoyin was in a different boat as she was attending this year’s Rockford Juneteenth event for the first time after being invited by organizers. While she is a of African descent, she’s only lived in the United States since 2005 and was looking forward to learning more about the history of Juneteenth. 

"It’s very important just learning. I’m from Liberia and I don’t know much about Juneteenth but just being here will teach me so much," Adedoyin said.

But being a first-time vendor did not stop Adedoyin from jumping right into the action and she showed off her clothes for sale and her culture.

"I just wanted to show other African Americans there’s so much to clothes. We have different colors and bright colors, so I just wanted them to see where I’m from, my culture, what we wear," Adedoyin said.

For Williams-Stewart, celebrating Juneteenth is about honoring both the past and future and hoping to give the next generation more information about how the present came to be.

"We sung the songs. We did all that. A lot of that stuff is fading out of the schools. We had things to prepare us. We had cooking, we had sewing and none of that’s in schools today, so we have to set the backgrounds for our children," Williams-Stewart said.

Webb was taking full advantage of the holiday and celebrating by honoring everything that has happened to make it possible.

"Where we all started from and where we are now. That’s a big accomplishment," Webb said.

Rockford’s Juneteenth event was held at Sinnissippi Park. 

For urgent breaking news and severe weather updates – click here to download the 13 WREX News App and the 13 WREX Weather Authority App.