‘Go Get Your You Foundation’ hosts first Juneteenth Soul Food Festival in Conway

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - People looking for somewhere to go to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend can head to the Smith-Jones Recreation Center for the first Juneteenth Soul Food Festival.

Roughly 30 black-owned businesses will set up at the recreation center with music, food vendors, retail vendors and even a registration for voting set up.

The festival is special for many of the businesses participating because it’s giving them a space to come to the community.

“A lot of those businesses don’t have brick and mortars so a lot of the people in the area aren’t too familiar with their businesses, so this weekend will be their time to shine,” Go Get Your You Foundation co-chair woman Ashley White said.

White said the chosen location is important because it was one of the only parks allowing black families. She said the area isn’t utilized as much as it used to be so their hope is to build the connection for people to come to it more even after this weekend.

“Having it on these grounds specifically is huge for the community and we’re happy to have everybody a part of it,” Go Get Your You Foundation secretary Jasmine Young said.

Director Latonya Harriott explained why having this festival on Juneteenth is important.

“Juneteenth is about emancipation, it’s about the freedom of slaves. You can be enslaved in your mind, you can be enslaved in something you’re involved in so this is what we want to tell people - go get your you, whatever that may be,” Harriott said.

The businesses participating aren’t only from the Grand Strand, but surrounding areas.

“We tried to reach out to not just our community but neighboring counties and cities,” Go Get Your You Foundation co-chair woman Apollonia Brown said. “We want to have a space people can come together and unify the community

Harriott said people can help out by donating water, sanitizers and mask.

The event runs from 10 a.m. on June 19 to 6 p.m. on June 20. The address is 1906 Parmley Drive in Conway.

More information can be found here.

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