Committee backs annual Juneteenth parade partnership and fee waiver

BENTON HARBOR — The committee recommended that the full commission formally endorse the Benton Harbor Juneteenth Cultural Alliance Committee’s annual parade and waive event fees and deposits as requested by organizers.

Parks and recreation staff read the resolution, which asks the commission to approve a partnership between the city and the Benton Harbor Juneteenth Cultural Alliance Committee to host the annual parade (usually the Saturday prior to Juneteenth unless Juneteenth falls on a Saturday) and to waive fees and the $250 deposit for reserving City Center Park. The proposed parade route runs from Riverview Drive to Main and 6th Street, with a community celebration scheduled at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park from 1 to 6 p.m.

Miss Young, representing the Juneteenth committee, told the committee, “We are excited for our ninth annual Juneteenth parade and celebration,” and asked that the commission approve the event on an annual basis so organizers would not need to return each year. Tiffany, a city staff member, confirmed the resolution language contemplates an annual approval as written: it designates the event as held the Saturday prior to Juneteenth unless Juneteenth itself falls on a Saturday.

Committee members thanked the organizers for their work and agreed to move the item to the full commission for final approval.

Next steps: the item will go to the full commission for formal action and any fee waivers will be resolved at that time.