Cold World. Brilliant People.

Why Green Bay's Juneteenth Celebration Matters More Than Ever

For seven years, our community has come together to celebrate Juneteenth.

Every year, people see the music, the vendors, the parade, the performances, the food, and the joy. They see families gathering. They see children playing. They see Black-owned businesses sharing their products and services. They see culture, connection, and celebration.

What many people do not see is everything it takes behind the scenes to create and sustain a space like this.

This year's theme, Cold World. Brilliant People., speaks directly to that reality.

It acknowledges something many of us already know.

The world can be hard.

Resources are shrinking. Communities are carrying more. Families are navigating uncertainty. Organizations are being asked to do more with less. The systems around us often feel cold.

And yet, despite all of that, our people continue to create.

We continue to innovate.

We continue to care for one another.

We continue to build.

We continue to find ways to celebrate our history while investing in our future.

That brilliance is what this year's Juneteenth Celebration is about.

Because this event has never simply been entertainment.

It is community care.

It is economic opportunity.

It is cultural preservation.

It is visibility.

It is strategy.

It is survival.

Every year this event creates space for:

• Black-owned businesses

• First-time entrepreneurs

• Artists and performers

• Families

• Youth

• Elders

• Community organizations

• Connection across generations

For many attendees, this is one of the few opportunities throughout the year to be surrounded by Black culture, Black excellence, and Black joy in a public and intentional way.

Over the years, survivors, community members, elders, and families have shared with us that Juneteenth feels sacred.

For a few hours, they experience belonging.

For a few hours, they experience celebration.

For a few hours, they experience what it means to gather in community without having to explain who they are.

Those moments matter.

That is why we continue.

At the same time, we believe our community deserves transparency about what it takes to host an event of this scale.

Like many nonprofits and community organizations across the country, We All Rise is navigating a funding landscape that has become increasingly uncertain. Sponsorship support has continued to decrease over time while event costs continue to rise.

Historically, our organization has covered event deficits through unrestricted funds because we believe this celebration is too important to lose.

This year, however, we are currently operating the event at an estimated deficit of approximately $8,000, and we anticipate that number will grow closer to $12,000 once final event expenses are included.

As a result, our planning committee has had to make difficult decisions.

For the first time in seven years, we are unable to provide tables and chairs for vendors. The cost of providing those items alone is $3,775.

We have also had to scale back our free community meal.

Historically, we have served approximately 1,000 free meals during the event. This year, we are planning for approximately 500 meals so we can continue offering food while operating within our current resources.

Additional activities that have traditionally been part of the celebration, including bounce houses, face painting, and our community basketball tournament, have

also been removed from this year's event budget.

These decisions have not been easy.

Every item removed represents something our community has enjoyed, valued, and benefited from.

At the same time, our planning committee has remained committed to protecting the heart of the celebration.

One area we continue to prioritize is economic opportunity.

The standard vendor fee for Juneteenth is $300. However, every year we welcome emerging entrepreneurs, first-time business owners, artists, and community innovators who may not have the resources to participate at full cost.

Because of that, our planning committee regularly grants partial and full vendor fee waivers to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation.

We believe Juneteenth should be a place where Black entrepreneurship can grow.

We believe new businesses deserve visibility.

We believe innovation should have access to community.

And we believe our celebration should continue creating pathways for people to share their gifts, talents, and dreams.

That commitment remains unchanged.

The reality is that this event has always been powered by community.

It is powered by sponsors.

It is powered by volunteers.

It is powered by vendors.

It is powered by donors.

It is powered by neighbors who believe this celebration deserves to exist.

If you have been wondering how you can support Juneteenth this year, there are many ways to get involved.

You can become a sponsor.

You can register as a vendor.

You can volunteer.

You can join the parade.

You can make a donation.

You can purchase items from our Amazon Wish List to help support event supplies, children's activities, parade materials, and other event needs.

Most importantly, you can help us spread the word.

Every share, every conversation, every invitation helps strengthen this celebration.

Because at the end of the day, Juneteenth has always been about more than a single event.

It is about honoring the generations that came before us.

It is about celebrating the brilliance that exists within our community today.

And it is about investing in the future we are building together.

The world may be cold.

But our people remain brilliant.

And every year, somehow, our community still finds a way to make something beautiful together.

Community Partners Already Standing With Us

We are deeply grateful to the organizations that have already invested in this year’s Juneteenth Celebration:

• Green Bay Packers Foundation

• Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC)

• UW-Green Bay

• Capital Credit Union

• Greater Green Bay Community Foundation

• Wisconsin Conservation Voters

• Union Congregational United Church of Christ

Their support is helping make this year’s celebration possible.

And still, community celebrations of this scale require many hands. There is room for businesses, organizations, faith communities, families, and individual community members to join us.

Because preserving this celebration has never been the responsibility of one organization.

It belongs to all of us.

How You Can Help Right Now:

• Sponsor: bit.ly/GBJuneteenthSponsor

• Vendor: bit.ly/GBJuneteenthVendor

• Volunteer: bit.ly/GBJuneteenthVolunteer

• Parade: bit.ly/GBJuneteenthParade

• Amazon Wishlist: https://a.co/03qKG5XF

• Make a Donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=W4748Y9PC3MLL

Specific Needs We Are Still Working to Fill:

If your business, organization, church, civic group, or family would like to support Juneteenth in a practical way, we are still seeking support for several event needs, including:

• Tables and chairs for vendors and community organizations ($3,775 total need)

• Event and table docorations.

• Bottled water for volunteers, performers, vendors, and attendees

• Hamburgers, hot dog, buns, condiments, paper plates.

• Ice donations for food service, hydration stations, and event operations

• Face painters willing to volunteer their time and talents

• Children's activities and family engagement supplies

• Parade supplies and day-of event materials

• Event signage and wayfinding materials

• In-kind donations that help offset operational event costs

If you or someone you know may be able to assist with any of these needs, please contact us. Every contribution, large or small, helps us preserve the heart of this celebration while keeping it accessible to our community.