Brewer Juneteenth celebration closed to public

A local celebration marking the end of slavery in America will look different this year.

Juneteenth is this Friday, June 19th.

Due to COVID-19, the yearly celebration at Joshua Chamberlain Park in Brewer will not be open to the public.

Instead, the Maine Human Rights Coalition encourages folks to honor the day however they deem fit.

Members say the day also holds more significance given what's been going on in the country.

“This celebration is very very special and it’s different, because of the death of George Floyd. Which has reverberated and had an effect not only here in America but all over the world," said James Varner, the President of the Maine Human Rights Coalition.

This will be the 15th year the Maine Human Rights Commission has marked Juneteenth.