Juneteenth Foodways Festival celebrates history, community and food

The third annual Juneteenth Foodways Festival brought in a record crowd over the weekend. For the third year in a row, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential site held the Juneteenth Foodways Festival, an event honoring the holiday and former White House chef Dolly Johnson, from 4-8 p.m. June 14. The annual festival features Black-owned restaurants and food trucks, small businesses and community partners coming together to offer Indianapolis just a taste of how Black cuisines “add flavor to America’s favorite foods.” “Juneteenth is something that people don’t talk about, and I feel like it just became popular even though it’s something that should have been celebrated years ago,” Kiara Doss told the Recorder. Marsha Quarles of Marsha’s Specialty Desserts presented her twist on Dolly Johnson’s famous pecan cake at the 2024 Juneteenth Foodways Festival on June 14, 2024 at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential site. (Photo/Chloe McGowan) The Juneteenth Foodways Festival featured 25 local Black-owned food partners such as Guy’s Cooking Creation, The Jollof Buka, KsKrazy Eats, Market Square Popcorn, Samora Red Catering, Forked Up Catering, Gals Fresh Fish and more. Doss said festivals like this one offer a great opportunity for people to “see what’s out there” and try different foods...