Clinton will begin its observances tomorrow (June 19) of the Third Thursday Food Trucks evening, known as The Whistle Stop and named in conjunction with the city’s annual Rhythm on the Rails festival.
It is an homage to Clinton’s stature as the railroads crossroads of Upstate South Carolina. This initial Whistle Stop on June 19 also celebrates the Juneteenth federal holiday.
The band is g clef & the playlist, out of Atlanta, “a powerhouse band know for incredible vocals, dynamic energy, and serious talent.”
The City of Clinton posted, “Join us for Third Thursday & Juneteenth Celebration! Mark your calendar for June 19th as we kick off our Third Thursday series while celebrating Juneteenth - Freedom Day! Enjoy live music, savor delicious eats from food vendors, play games, shop from local businesses. There’s something for the whole family, and the fun begins at 5 p.m. in downtown Clinton!”
With this year’s Rhythm on the Rails, Main Street Clinton tried something different. Scaling back from a main-streets-blocking event that included carnival rides and a huge performance stage, Rhythm was a music-fueled 8 hours centered at The Depot in Uptown Clinton. It was meant to be a kickoff for events that would be staged each Third Thursday -- the idea is, instead of encouraging people to come Uptown for one day, this every month activity would encourage people -- locals and tourists alike - to visit the main business district multiple times during the summer and fall.
Third Thursdays are planned through October. “Instead of 1,000 people 1 time, we want to have 500 people 6 times (visiting Clinton),” said Jim Spry, Main Street Clinton executive director. “We want people to make a habit of coming downtown.”
The idea is to close Musgrove Street and place tents and tables for vendors there near the rural-vista mural, and to have food trucks in front of the railroad mural on East Main Street.
That way, the city’s main thoroughfare, Broad Street, is not closed.
The City’s main parking area on West Main Street (beside the former Industrial Supply building which is being envisioned for apartments) also can be used for these family-friendly gatherings.
Walking on Musgrove, Whistle Stop participants will be able to see what has become of the scene of a massive fire in late August of last year. Two affected businesses have returned - Hoyt Hanvey Jewelers is back in its fire-damaged building, and House of Pizza has opened in its new location, the former Freshens restaurant of Presbyterian College. The City of Clinton - and Aspen & Figs gift shop is a block away in a new North Broad Street location.
The City of Clinton will have architect and urban planner Blake Sanders conduct visioning sessions for the community to determine what this now-publicly-owned site can become for the city’s benefit. With just a few more negotiations to go, this property now is under the auspices of the Clinton Economic Development Corporation, the City Council was told at its June 2 meeting.
For Clinton, June 19 will be its celebration of Freedom Day. Meanwhile, Laurens conducted its Juneteenth observances on June 13 & 14.
More about Juneteenth:
Name origin
Why is it called Juneteenth?
The word “Juneteenth” is a Black English contraction, or portmanteau, of the month “June” and the date “Nineteenth.” Juneteenth celebrates the date of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people of African descent located in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from the slavery system in the United States.
GENERAL ORDER NO. 3 FROM MAJ. GEN. GORDON GRANGER, FREEING THE SLAVES OF TEXAS ON JUNE 19, 1865 (KNOWN TODAY AS JUNETEENTH)
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
THE BAND here.
