Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

You’ll have a ball at this year’s Juneteenth Celebration held Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18, at Comer Cox Park at Capitol Ave. and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The community-wide party is not only a celebration of the historic day when slavery was eliminated in the United States, but now it includes the popular Gus Macker basketball tournament.

Organizers at Springfield nonprofits One in a Million, Inc. and Faith Coalition for the Common Good are excited to present central Illinois with the Gus Macker 3-on-3 outdoor basketball tournament. A popular competition that has had its struggles to stay in Springfield the past few years should enliven and invigorate the already hopping Juneteenth Celebration. Registration for four-person teams of young and old alike to play has ended, but these are fun intimate games to watch, so make sure to check them out both days.

Kicking off the two-day Juneteenth Celeberation is a parade at 10 a.m. with opening ceremonies following. Perhaps the most popular draw of the two-day festival is the music. This year will be no different. Come one, come all. This is a free event; there’s no admission.