The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) will host the 2nd annual Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival on Friday, June 20 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. in Pine Bluff’s downtown Delta Rhythm and Bayous Cultural District at 3rd & Main Streets. Grammy-nominated R&B crooner Lenny Williams is the headliner, with opening acts by Brand New Blues sensation SINGA B and R&B and Soul artist Terry Wright. The festival, sponsored by UAPB, the City of Pine Bluff and the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, is free and open to the public.
Williams, born in Little Rock, is regarded as one of R&B’s most influential soul men. The impact of his music can still be felt, particularly his mega-hit “Cause I Love You,” which crosses generational boundaries and has frequently been used in compilations from the time of its debut to new music premiering today. During the 1970s, Williams paused his solo career to replace the lead singer of the group Tower of Power, leading the band through its peak years and contributing to three hit albums and several popular songs including “So Very Hard to Go,” “Don’t Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream),” “What is Hip?,” and “This Time It’s Real.” Williams was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2012.
KATV Daybreak’s Ryan Houston and Christian the Comedian from Power 92.3FM will return as emcees, adding energy and entertainment throughout the celebration. And new this year—the HBCU Line Dance Challenge. Dance teams, clubs, instructors, sororities, fraternities, colleagues, and other enthusiasts are invited to sign up and create the largest gathering of line dancers at an HBCU event. The ACF Arkansas Delta Chefs Association will offer food tastings and the Cub Club Kids Zone will feature carnival rides for the youngest festival-goers. Small businesses will line the street again this year at no cost to showcase their goods and merchandise, and food trucks will offer food and beverages for purchase. Line dancers and line dancing groups, vendors, and volunteers interested in participating can apply at Juneteenthinthebluff.com.
“Juneteenth in the Bluff is more than a festival—it’s a tribute to freedom, resilience, and the African American cultural experience,” UAPB Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement George Cotton said. “We were blown away by the support in 2024 and thrilled that our partners were just as eager as we were to do it again this year, bigger and better.”
Nearly 2,500 people filled Pine Bluff’s Main Street last year, and attendance is expected to grow for this year’s festival. Juneteenth, short for June 19th, commemorates the day enslaved African Americans in Texas finally learned of their freedom, two and a half years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. Notably, Juneteenth occurred only seven years before the founding of Branch Normal College, now UAPB.
For more information about Juneteenth in the Bluff: Arts & Culture Festival or to participate as a vendor, contact Jaimie D. Wright at 870.955.4830 or [email protected].
