Cumberland County will celebrate history and make a bit of its own when the county holds its first Juneteenth celebration this weekend.

The festivities will feature live jazz, R&B, blues, country and gospel music, as well as vendors selling arts and crafts, specialty items and foods. There also will be games, antique cars, a dunking booth, a space walk for kids and face painting.

Cumberland's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Cumberland County Missionary Society are sponsoring the event.

Harry P. Marshall Sr., the county's NAACP president, conceived Juneteenth a year ago and wants it to be "a joyous and festive celebration of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all peoples."

Juneteenth is often called the African-American Independence Day and originated in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865 -- almost 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves -- Union troops arrived with the news that the war had ended and the slaves were free.

Marshall said he is hoping to use it as a way to remind African-American youth of the trials and tribulations their ancestors overcame on the journey to freedom, while also serving "as a tool to remind us all to respect all cultures; to foster connections to empower and uplift the community."

The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors presented Marshall with a resolution acknowledging and encouraging residents to participate "in this historic and special event."

Bill Osl, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said county leaders are "happy to be able to celebrate our history."

"This is very significant as it is the first time this event has been celebrated in Cumberland," he said. "I am honored that I was invited to attend and am pleased to be able to stand side by side with my fellow citizens representing all of Cumberland."

The celebration has migrated east, and its popularity continues to grow in Virginia. The Richmond area will have a celebration presented by Elegba Folklore Society later in June.

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 392-6605 or jruff@timesdispatch.com.