Music Moves, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make Black music and the arts accessible to both students and the entire NWA community, is thrilled to announce the return of Freedom Festival in partnership with NWA Juneteenth Committee, Interform, and Community Cohesion Project.

Now in its fourth year, The Freedom Festival is one of Arkansas’ largest commemoration and celebration recognizing Juneteenth, the federal holiday that marks the ending of slavery in the United States.  Freedom Festival is a day for Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas to gather, reflect and share in a festival of music, food, and fun. The Freedom Festival committee invites everyone to experience the goodwill and positivity of the thousands who gather in downtown Springdale for what has become an indispensable, annual NWA tradition.

Over 4,300 people attended to enjoy the family friendly Festival with activations that included a kid’s zone with games and activities, a vendor market featuring local entrepreneurs and businesses, a live fashion show, giveaways for attendees, and an incredible array of musical talent featuring top names and nostalgic acts providing entertainment for the entire family. Last year, Grammy Award winning Bone Thugs-n-Harmony was the headliner of a top-notch musical lineup.

2024 Freedom Festival Music Lineup will include Soul Train Nominated R&B Artist “Donell Jones”, Iconic Funk Band “Cameo”, and Grammy Nominated Hip Hop Artist “Twista”. Several local and regional artists will open the festival.

Freedom Festival is presented by Music Moves in partnership with INTERFORM, The Community Cohesion Project (CCP) and the NWA Juneteenth Committee.  Foundation Sponsors include: Walton Family Foundation and Tyson Family Foundation.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event or participating as a vendor, please contact
reggie@musicmovesar.com

Quotes:

“I’m looking forward to the Fourth Annual Freedom Festival celebrating Juneteenth in Northwest Arkansas. It’s exciting to see the momentum and growth of this event drawing in even more members of the community, which only underscores the importance of history as we continue to look forward.  Happy Juneteenth!”

— Charles Robinson, University of Arkansas Chancellor

“We are going into our 4th Annual and the expectations are very high haha! We have a great music line up and event, and people are coming from all over the country to be a part of this great NWA tradition. Who knew folks from Memphis, Houston, Tulsa, and Little Rock would be coming to Northwest Arkansas for our Juneteenth Celebration? This is a great sign of all the great things happening here. More importantly, my partners and I are excited to build this celebration in a way that ALL people feel welcome as we celebrate something we hold dear as Americans, and that’s FREEDOM!”

– Anthony Ball- Music Moves VP & Program Director