EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Juneteenth was celebrated at East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County.
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slaves were freed in Texas, the last Confederate state to do so.
It was two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
It was the 2nd annual Pocono Juneteenth Freedom Fest.
Organizers say it was a great way for the community to connect with each other.
"Everyone comes out and meets their neighbors, people that you might see in a supermarket on a regular day, and you don't even smile or say hello, but at festivals, people tend to become more friendly. They're talking and socializing. We have food vendors where people are sitting down talking, breaking bread together," said Nichele Brown, President of Greater Pocono Section NCNW.
Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday in 2021.
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