Elgin not at fault for cancellation of this year’s Juneteenth event

I am writing to express my disappointment with the article published in The Courier-News on March 11 titled, “Organizers cancel Elgin’s Juneteenth event after date it wanted was given to Michelada Festival.” The headline, along with key omissions in the article, malign the city of Elgin’s reputation by creating an unfair implication that the city is being uncooperative and is at fault for the Juneteenth event’s cancellation.

The article omitted crucial information the city conveyed to the reporter stating that for the past three years, the African American Coalition of Kane County had held its Juneteenth Festival in Festival Park on the weekend of or before June 19. This year, AACKC requested the weekend after Juneteenth. AACKC’s request to change the weekend of its event now conflicts with the weekend on which the Michelada Festival was conducted last year and has been requested again for this summer by that event’s organizers. The city offered AACKC alternatives, including the use of Festival Park on the weekend before Juneteenth or the Wing Park Band Shell area on their preferred weekend. AACKC declined these options.

The article states that a peaceful protest is planned in response to the event’s “forced cancellation.” There was no forced cancellation — AACKC made the decision not to proceed with the alternatives offered by the city.

The city told AACKC that going forward, it will refrain from scheduling special events at Festival Park or other alternative venues on the weekends immediately before or after June 19 until AACKC selects its preferred weekend for future Juneteenth celebrations. As a cosponsor of the Juneteenth Festival, the city remains committed to working with AACKC to ensure a successful 2026 event.

I am hoping that future coverage of such matters reflects a more balanced perspective. Thank you for allowing me to clarify these details.

— Jeff Knox, City of Elgin Director of Communications and Engagement

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