Juneteenth weekend will honor five noted women

The official Juneteenth day of remembrance is Monday, but San Marcos will be honoring the event today and Saturday with the 20th Annual Charity Bar-B-Que Cook-Off.

Organizers of this year’s cook-off said of great importance is that the twoday cook-off will honor four women who forged a path for diversity and change at Texas State University.

The school renamed Angelina Hall as First Five Freedom Hall, a housing and residential life building, acknowledging the courage of Georgia Hoodye Cheatham, Helen Jackson Franks, Dana Smith Pernnell, Gloria Odoms Powell and Mabeleen Washington Wozniaki.

The cook-off will be held at the Willie Mae Mitchell Community Opportunity Center at 715 Valley St.

As in years past, David Peterson with the Juneteenth Foundation has coordinated and overseen the bringing together of sponsors from across the city and Hays County.

There will be activities for children, additional food booths, a silent auction, a cake auction, arts and crafts, and even a watermelon seed spitting contest.

Those attending may also participate in jump rope and sack races. Music will be offered throughout the two-day event.

Prizes will be awarded during the cook-off, including a 1st Place $200 award for brisket, a $100 award for chicken, ribs and fajita categories. Beans, cobbler and pork chops will also have award categories.

In a more formal vein, there will be the 3rd Annual Unity Walk on Saturday. Those planning to walk should plan on gathering at 8:30 a.m. with the walk set to start at 9 a.m. The route of the walk starts at the MLK/LBJ crosswalk and will end at the Opportunity Center.

The Hays County Commissioners Court issued a proclamation stating the importance of Juneteenth to this community and to Texas.

The Juneteenth Foundation take proceeds from the cook-off to work to encourage and to assist the citizens of San Marcos and Hays County.

The foundation stated that it would like to continue to assist families and individuals in this post-COVID 19 era, especially.

Organizers said that by coming out today and Saturday to share food, music and awareness, keeps alive what the Juneteenth holiday represents in terms of diversity and inclusion here in Central Texas. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that is recognized on Monday, June 19, commemorating the actions of then President Abraham Lincoln to free slaves in the states that had rebelled.