Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon
Come Together and Celebrate!
Date: Sunday, July 26th, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
All are welcome to this joyful commemoration of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act held in partnership with the London Black Heritage Council and W.E.A.N. Community Centre.
Join our celebration of local Black community, history and culture!
Free Event!
Admission to Fanshawe Pioneer Village is FREE for the day!
We are also offering FREE bus rides from the Argyle Mall LTC Hub to Fanshawe Pioneer Village during event hours. Here is the bus schedule:
All-Day Activities
Food vendors!
Booths from local Black-owned businesses and community organizations.
Displays by visiting museums and research projects sharing Black history from the region.
Scheduled Activities
10:00: Open to the public
10:00-12:30: Kids’ activities with Saidat
11:00-12:30: Performance by DJ Kerwin
11:00-11:50: Live Music by Ensemble Cordiale
12:00-1:30: Main Ceremony
12:00-12:30: Opening Ceremony with Melissa Deleary
12:30-12:45: Remarks from the London Black Heritage Council
12:45-1:00: Remarks from local politicians
1:00-1:30: Keynote Presentation by Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon: “Proclaiming liberty throughout all the land:” Emancipation Day Commemorations in Canada
2:00-2:30: Parade around the Village featuring the Bahamas Junkanoo Legends
2:30-3:00: Spoken Word Performance by Fitzroy Dixon
2:30-4:00: Performance by DJ Kerwin
2:30-4:00: Kids’ activities with Saidat
3:00-3:30: Emancipation Day Poetry Contest readings and winner announcements with Antler River Poetry
4:00: Closed to the public
Event Participants
Special Guests
Bahamas Junkanoo Legends
Fitzroy Dixon
DJ Kerwin Garner
Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon
Saidat
Melissa Deleary
Food Vendors
Aduke Pearl Pastries Inc. (from 1:00 PM onwards)
Angel Dust by Evangeline
Big Beefie’s Jerk Shack
Cool Convenience
Ebony’s Pink Lemonade
Community Booths & Performers
Antler River Poetry
Art by FJO
Black Londoners Project
Canadian Mental Health Association
Ensemble Cordiale
Forest City Memories
Historic Otterville Mill & Station Museum
Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum
Lara Timag
London Fire Department
London Health Sciences Centre
London Police Services
London Public Library
Lucan Area Heritage & Donnelly Museum
Mary-Ann Jack-Bleach
Middlesex-London Health Unit
Museum London
Norwich & District Historical Society
Oxford County Archives
Regional HIV/AIDS Connection
SA Counselling Services
Super Aging Canada
No. 2 Construction Battalion
WeBridge Community Services
UWO Community Legal Services
Plan Your Visit
Learn all about travelling to Fanshawe Pioneer Village, parking, accessibility and more at this webpage:
