Reds partner on Juneteenth Block Party

The Reds proudly partnered with Paloozanoire for the annual Juneteenth Block Party at The Banks on Friday night.

In its second year at The Banks, the free block party took place from 4-11 p.m. Fans were able to visit the Kroger Family Zone featuring Reds mascots, the Reds Rally Pack, carnival performers and free posters of Reds pitcher Hunter Greene. Other entertainment included an ArtsWave Artist Market, live music, food trucks, games and more. The night was capped off with Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks at the conclusion of the Reds’ game vs. the Brewers.

“The Juneteenth Block Party has grown in ways we couldn’t have imagined,” Paloozanoire founder Rico Grant said. “Hosting our entire city at the front doors of Great American Ball Park to celebrate unity and freedom was absolutely the best play. In just our second year hosting at The Banks, we filled that footprint with joy and catered to thousands of families. And to us, that’s what it’s all about.”

First introduced by Grant, the block party originated in 2020 as a pop-up style event in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine district. Last year, the block party moved to The Banks and operated on a much larger scale, showing the potential for what this event could be.

“What a fantastic turnout for the Juneteenth Eve Block Party at The Banks,” said Reds president and chief operating officer Phil Castellini. “We thank Rico Grant and Paloozanoire for producing such a joyous experience filled with music, dancing and food to celebrate this important date in our history. The Reds are proud to support the event and are grateful those attending the block party could enjoy the Reds mascots and fireworks along with our fans.”

The Juneteenth celebration continued into the weekend at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy, which hosted a youth baseball tournament on Saturday. Local artist Brent Billingsley, who created the Joe Morgan mural in 2021 that highlights the Academy’s façade, had a T-shirt booth set up throughout the day for kids to stop by, decorate their own shirts and learn about the history and significance of Juneteenth. Kids were able to choose powerful figures from Black history and inspirational words and messages to include on their shirt.