Vienna’s Juneteenth celebration could march into town with some additional pomp this year.
The First Baptist Church of Vienna, which typically hosts the now-annual event commemorating the U.S.’s “second independence day,” has proposed kicking off the 2025 festivities with a parade.
After “several” discussions with the church, town staff will ask the Vienna Town Council to approve a memorandum of understanding tonight (Monday) that cements their partnership and sets parameters for the parade, which will generally follow the same regulations as James Madison High School’s fall homecoming parade, according to the meeting agenda.
According to the agreement, the proposed event date is Saturday, June 14 from 10-11 a.m. with no backup day in case of rain. Limited to 50 entries with no more than three floats, the parade will start at the corner of Maple Avenue and Mill Street, continue west on Maple, turn right on Nutley Street and end at the church at 450 Orchard Street NW.
Road closures would be required, including on Mill Street, where parade participants will line up, and the westbound lanes of Maple Avenue. Under the MOU, the Vienna Police Department would provide support, but it won’t escort the parade once it turns onto Nutley Street, where the church would be responsible for setting up and disassembling barricades.
“Approximately 15 Town police officers will manage the road closure, at an estimated cost of $8,000,” town staff said in a summary for the meeting agenda. “If the parade is approved, no additional Town resources or overtime will be allocated to the Juneteenth Festival, as all overtime and staff resources will be directed toward ensuring police presence during the parade.”
While a date for this year’s Juneteenth Festival hasn’t been announced yet, it appears that the parade will lead directly into the festival, which has been held in the past on the Saturday before June 19 and serves as the opening of the town’s Liberty Amendments Month festivities.
Conceived by Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton and first recognized in 2021, Liberty Amendments Month expands on Juneteenth — the anniversary of the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas were officially emancipated — to highlight the 13th, 14th, 15th and 19th Constitutional amendments.
Those amendments abolished slavery, granted citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the U.S., and extended voting rights to all citizens, regardless of race or gender — rights that, in some cases, are being challenged by the current federal administration.
According to the town’s proposed agreement with the First Baptist Church, the church will work with a Liberty Amendments Month leadership committee to ensure all of the celebrated amendments are represented in the “Juneteenth and Liberty Amendments Month Kick-Off Parade.”
Also recognized by the Virginia General Assembly, past Liberty Amendments Month activities in Vienna have ranged from history talks and naturalization ceremonies to musical performances and kids’ storytimes.
