The Jefferson County African American Culture and Heritage Festival

Foundation members proudly marched for the first time in the 30th annual Jefferson County African American Culture and Heritage Festival parade on August 17 with our First Zion float front and center!

Founded in 1993 by the Jefferson County NAACP, the Jefferson County African American Culture and Heritage Festival is a yearly celebration of African American history and achievement in our community. The day includes a parade, music, great food, local vendors, games and inspiration from local leaders. Overall, it is an event that is both fun and meaningful for Jefferson County. Not only was it the parade’s 30th year, this year marks the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education which ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional.

To prepare for our African American Culture and Heritage Festival debut, Foundation members met the preceding Friday evening in Harpers Ferry to decorate the float and assemble the church model on our flatbed. Once traffic died down for the evening, volunteers SLOWLY drove the float down Hwy 340 to Charles Town where it then stayed at Mr. George Rutherford’s house overnight. The next morning, volunteers completed last-minute assembly and decorations before moving to the site of the parade on Washington Street in downtown Charles Town.

We are not sure who had more fun – the folks watching the parade or its participants! Accompanying us in the parade were both Jefferson high school marching bands, representatives from local civic organizations, historical reenactors, step and dance teams and an abundance of regional beauty queens. The positive energy of the day was palpable.

What’s next in store for our float? You tell us! If you are aware of an event where our float might generate public interest in our mission, please let us know! As you can see from the pictures, getting it set up requires significant effort, but we’ll do our best. Until then, our float and brigade of parade marchers will see you next at the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Olde Tyme Christmas Festival. For any inquiries about the Foundation’s public appearances, please reach out to info@historicharpersferry.org.

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