Macon’s first Juneteenth parade begins at 11 a.m. Monday in front of the Tubman Museum

Macon is honoring Juneteenth this year with an inaugural downtown parade.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of slaves through the ratification of the 13th Amendment. It became a federal holiday in 2021.

Macon’s Juneteenth Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at 310 Cherry Street in front of the Tubman Museum. It will travel down Cherry Street, left on Second Street, and turn onto Poplar Street toward MLK Jr. Boulevard, where it will end.

No vehicle traffic will be allowed on Cherry and Poplar streets Monday beginning at 7 a.m., according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Several streets will be blocked for the entire parade:

• Cherry Street will be blocked from Fifth Street to First Street
• Poplar Street will be blocked from First Street to Fifth Street and First street to Second Street
• Third Street will be blocked from Cherry Street to Plum Street.
• MLK Jr. Boulevard will be blocked from Mulberry Street to Plum Street
• Fifth Street will be blocked from Oglethorpe to Mulberry Street

Middle Georgia native and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Bud Dupree will serve as the parade’s grand marshal.

“When they asked me about it, it was surprising to me, it was exciting,” Dupree told the Telegraph. “I didn’t even know we had a parade but they told me it was the first year. I’m just excited to see all the things (the parade) brings to the community.”

Telegraph reporter Micah Johnston and Telegraph intern Gabriel Kopp contributed to this story.