Florida
How to honor and celebrate Juneteenth in South Florida
The Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated amongst Black communities for over one-and-a-half centuries.
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the end of slavery was announced in Galveston, Texas, despite President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The day is recognized as the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
However, the U.S. government only more recently recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress.
This year, South Florida communities and the rest of the country will celebrate the holiday on Thursday, June 19th.
And as the holiday nears, there is much to know about the significance of the day and ways in which you can celebrate it across South Florida.
What will be closed on the Holiday and what services have different scheduling?
- The U.S. Postal Service will be closed on June 19, and there will be no mail deliveries.
- UPS and FedEx pickup and delivery services will be available, and their store locations will be open on June 19, according to the companies’ websites.
- The Federal Reserve System and the New York Stock Exchange will be closed on Thursday, June 19.
- All federal agencies will be closed on Thursday, including the DMV and Social Security Administration.
- Most federal, state and city employees get the day off. Many private employers give workers the day off to observe the holiday.
- Most private businesses, including national retailers, will be open on Juneteenth.
Where can I find celebrations in South Florida?
Looking for ways to celebrate in South Florida? Well, we’ve got you covered. The following are some notable celebrations that you can look forward to:
The Miami Juneteenth Festival: On June 18th at the Griffing Center, experience performances by national and local artists, vendors showcasing Black-owned businesses, as well as interactive exhibits and activities to honor Juneteenth. The event will run from noon to 11 p.m., and for more information on this year’s festival, visit their website.
Juneteenth at Miami Children’s Museum: On June 19th at the Miami Children’s Museum, families can experience a day at the museum, celebrating Juneteenth with hands-on art activities that look into and educate on the themes of freedom, heritage and community. Visitors can also create and design “freedom crowns,” and be a part of a collaborative quilt project inspired by African American quilting traditions. The experience is included with regular museum admission. For more information on this celebration, visit their website and learn more.
The Juneteenth Experience at the Colony Theatre: From June 18th through the 19th, each night at 7:30 p.m., the Colony Theatre will be putting on a concert-theater experience that features “a blend of soulful melodies, gospel rhythms, and classical arrangements with spoken word and dance to creating a space where liberation and freedom are not just commemorated but deeply felt,” according to the show’s website. Additionally, the event will begin with selected short films exploring themes of Black liberation, followed by a performance. For more information on this event and to purchase tickets, visit their website.
Free Family Fun Day: Celebrating Juneteenth: On June 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., HistoryMiami Museum is hosting their monthly Saturday programming series, where this upcoming weekend will feature a discussion of Black history through interactive experiences, guided tours and creative expression to honor Juneteenth. The event is free to all for admission. For more information and the link to claim a ticket, visit the website.
Touch Money the Label: Juneteenth Celebration: On June 19th at 8:00 p.m., a night of music and cultural expression will take place at Electric 23 in Wynwood. The event will feature live performances and DJ sets rooted in Afrobeat, Soca, hip-hop and Caribbean sounds. For more information and the link to claim a ticket, visit the website.
Uhuru: A Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom and Liberation: On June 19th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Barry University will honor Juneteenth with an interactive evening of cultural expression, historical reflection and community connection. Additionally, a keynote will be presented by historian Dr. Tameka Hobbs. The celebration is presented by South Florida People of Color in collaboration with Barry University. The event is free and for more information visit the website to learn more.
City of Miami Beach OnStage! Presents: Juneteenth – A Day of Freedom: On June 19th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. a procession, live drumline and contemporary dance performance will kick off an evening commemorating the significance of the Juneteenth holiday. The event is presented by the City of Miami Beach and the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District starting at Euclid Oval and ending at 1100 Lincoln Road. Following the outdoor performances, people can go to the Colony Theatre at 7:30 p.m. for the fifth annual Juneteenth Experience, a multidisciplinary concert theater performance centered on the theme of non-erasure and the contributions of Black South Florida communities. The events are free and open to all, so for more information, visit the website.
Push for Elevate Florida funding
Almost two years after Hurricane Helene, some people are still waiting to get back into their homes. They’ve been on hold waiting for help from the Elevate Florida program. FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Some homeowners in St. Pete are still waiting for funding to raise their home after it flooded during Hurricane Helene.
One couple is still waiting for an update on their application to the Elevate Florida program — after about a year with no progress.
PREVIOUS: Thousands denied in first round of Florida’s new home elevation program
Elevate Florida program delays
What we know:
Jason and Carrie Nash’s home in Shore Acres had about four feet of water inside after Hurricane Helene. It solidified their decision to raise their home.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management opened the Elevate Florida program following Helene. The program is expected to cover approximately 75% of the costs to lift homes using federal grant money from FEMA. The homeowner would be expected to cover the remaining 25% of the cost.
The couple applied to the program and received an email last summer from Elevate Florida, saying the state had sent their application to FEMA for further review. Jason Nash says in November, they still hadn’t heard anything.
Mixed reactions as Shores Acres awaits ‘Elevate Florida’ decisions
He says they got an email from Elevate Florida in March, explaining that FEMA processing has been repeatedly delayed by factors outside the control of the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Elevate Florida. Last week, Pinellas County state lawmakers signed a letter to congressional leaders, calling on them to urge federal agencies to expedite the grant approval process.
“To put some more staffing, expedite the awards of these programs,” Rep. Lindsay Cross said.
Cross says that because the grant money being awarded is coming from federal funding, they don’t have direct control at the state level.
“Once that award comes, there’s still the stages of designing and permitting and getting people temporary housing in some cases,” she said.
According to the Elevate Florida website, federal grant requirements added extra review steps in June of last year, which could impact the timeline of the program.
St. Pete housing gridlock
What they’re saying:
Nash and his wife haven’t been able to live in their home for almost two years. The couple has been renting, while they wait to hopefully get awarded a grant from Elevate Florida.
“We not only have double rent, double bills, double everything, but on top of that, we’re paying for a storage unit to house all of our belongings in,” Nash said.
Nash says he’s reached out to leaders on the local, state and federal level, but feels like he isn’t getting answers.
“The worst thing that somebody can tell you in life is ‘Maybe’, because it still gives you hope,” he said. “And that’s all we’re getting, is ‘Maybes.’”
Stalled federal grant awards
What we don’t know:
It remains unclear exactly when FEMA will finalize the remaining applications. Nash says they received an email from Elevate Florida last week, saying 16 projects had been awarded funding, and that FEMA was continuing to award grants and would update homeowners.
FOX 13 reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management and is waiting for a response.
The other side:
On Monday night, a FEMA representative shared the following statement:
“FEMA obligates Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds to the state, not homeowners directly. Elevate Florida is a state-managed mitigation program. Questions should be sent to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.”
FEMA also directed people to its latest updates on funding awarded in Florida here.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview with a St. Pete homeowner, an interview with Rep. Lindsay Cross, a letter written by state representatives from Pinellas County, the Elevate Florida website and a statement from FEMA.
A 40-year-old man accused of using an AR-style rifle to threaten another man in a Wawa parking lot was arrested, according to a recently-obtained affidavit.
Jeremy Vigil, of the 700 block of Southwest Estate Avenue in Port St. Lucie, was arrested June 15 on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery charges after the incident at a Wawa at Southwest Becker Road and Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard.
A man about 10 p.m. June 15 told Port St. Lucie police that he and Vigil completed a job together the weekend before, and Vigil was angry about payment.
The man said Vigil contacted him, telling him to meet with his money. He arrived at Wawa and met Vigil, with their vehicles positioned window to window.
He described Vigil as “extremely angry,” and accused Vigil of pointing an AR-style rifle out of his truck at him.
“I’m a gangster (expletive),” Vigil is quoted as saying. “I’ll (expletive) kill you.”
The man said Vigil’s son was in the truck, and tried to get the rifle away from his father.
The man reportedly tried to record the encounter on his phone but said Vigil knocked the phone from his hand.
The man said he drove off and circled around to get his phone from the ground near the air pumps.
Ultimately, he said Vigil approached again without the rifle. Vigil reportedly “prevented him from leaving by chest-bumping (the man’s) vehicle.”
Vigil and the man got in a physical altercation near the gas pumps. Vigil then is accused of chasing the man into Wawa and yelling before leaving the scene.
Police viewed video surveillance of the incident.
Police reported they couldn’t definitively see a firearm in the video, noting the quality of the footage and distance away made it difficult.
The store manager told investigators it was the third incident involving Vigil at the location.
Police went to Vigil’s home, and he finally came outside after officers used a public address system and made a number of phone calls.
Vigil allowed officers to search his home, and they reported finding an AR-style rifle inside a safe.
Vigil initially denied the allegations.
Parts of the affidavit that appear to contain some of Vigil’s statements with police were redacted.
Vigil was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail, but it couldn’t immediately be determined June 22 whether he’d been released on bond. Attempts to reach the booking desk via phone were unsuccessful.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
Cape Coral has one. So do Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Naples.
And now it’s Fort Myers Beach’s turn to get its very own food truck park.
Access 26 Family Food Truck Park is expected to open early next year at 2500 Estero Blvd. and Beach Access 26. On June 8, Stevens Construction broke ground on the project, which will highlight five yet-to-be-announced food trucks, all with unique menus.
And there’s more. A bar with covered seating, Manny’s Scoops ice cream and retail area will be featured in a two-story, 3,000 square-foot structure. Storage, office space, restrooms, coolers, a freezer and a dumbwaiter system for beer kegs and supplies will take up the second floor.
A 569-square-foot comfort center with restrooms, storage and three outdoor showers is also planned, along with a curbside table rail, artificial turf play area, three shade canvas structures, guest parking lot and beach access.
And it’s designed with storms and hurricanes in mind — the building’s generator and mechanical equipment will be above flood level, metal flood panels and waterproof walls will help with storm surge and flooding, and the foundation’s design lets water flow through more easily.
Southwest Florida’s expanding food truck scene
Access 26 is the latest food truck park to join Southwest Florida’s growing eatertainment scene. Slipaway Food Truck Park & Marina opened a year ago on July 4 with food trucks, a large covered central bar, live music daily and more in Cape Coral.
Bay Street Yard first brought its vibrant food and entertainment concept to downtown Fort Myers in May 2024, while Backyard Social debuted its food trucks and family-fun daytime and 21-and-up nightlife format in south Fort Myers in October 2023.
Bonita Springs welcomed Rooftop at Riverside’s two-story, two-bar (one on the rooftop) open-air venue with food trucks in January 2024.
Naples’ Celebration Park — a waterfront destination with gourmet food trucks, bar and live music — led the way, opening in November 2018.
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.
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