News Release: Juneteenth community tour highlights music, history
Juneteenth community tour highlights music, history
ST. LOUIS – Trailnet and 4theVille are hosting a community bike ride and walking tour to celebrate Juneteenth and African American Music Appreciation Month. From June 20 through June 30, the self-guided tour takes participants through Downtown, Midtown and The Ville to explore historically significant sites.
The 2020 Juneteenth Celebration Community Ride, marks the third year of this partnership between Trailnet, 4theVille, and Missouri Historical Society. This year’s event focuses on the past and present of St. Louis’ rich history of African American musicians shaping our national sound. The self-guided tour also features recordings of local musicians paying tribute to the city’s continuing music traditions.
“4theVille is committed to the celebration of local black history through multi-disciplinary arts and tourism. We look forward to our annual Juneteenth partnership with Trailnet and Missouri Historical Society when we explore different elements of the continued black liberation struggle. This year, we are especially proud to support local African American musicians with our story about the St. Louis origins of black music,” Aaron Williams with 4theVille said.
“Trailnet’s community rides are designed to elevate the voices of our community partners and help tell the stories they want to share. We’re grateful to help 4theVille and Missouri Historical Society share these stories of Black creators and their legacy,” Cindy Mense, Trailnet’s CEO said.
Tour Platform
Originally created as a group bike ride, the event was changed to a self-guided tour to allow for social distancing. The event uses a GPS-based scavenger hunt smart-phone app to direct participants to each site, where they’ll be able to listen to original performances by local musicians, learn about Black creators’ history in our region all while biking or walking.
Participants can begin the tour at any of the stops and can complete the tour in any order, with suggested routes taking people on slower, low traffic streets.The app also allows participants to complete the tour at their own pace and over the course of several days.
Partner musicians and organizations
Local musicians were commissioned to record performances for the tour. These musicians include: Scooter Brown, Tre G, Tish Haynes Keys, DJ Nico Marie, Royce Martin, and Wil Robinson.
The 2020 Juneteenth Celebration Community Ride is sponsored by The Missouri Humanities Council. It was made possible through partnership with 4theVille, Missouri Historical Society, GirlTrek, Northside Community Housing, Black Girls Do Bike, and St. Louis Public Radio.
Details
DATE: Saturday, June 20 – Tuesday, June 30
TIME: The tour and app is available throughout the dates
LOCATION: St. Louis City: including Downtown, Midtown, and The Ville
COST: $10, free for Trailnet members
DISTANCE: Approximately 12-14 miles total by bike, with an individual’s flexibility to do less
EVENT PAGE URL: https://trailnet.org/calendar/2020-juneteenth-celebration/
Trailnet is the St. Louis Region’s nonprofit walking, biking and public transit advocacy organization. For more than thirty years, Trailnet has been working within the St. Louis region and across the state to respond to the demand for improved walking and biking networks that attract and retain talent, strengthen our economy, and connect people to the places they love.
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