Krave Korner to host Juneteenth Block Party in LaFayette
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Krave Korner is hosting its third annual Juneteenth Block Party on June 19 with a parade starting at 3 p.m., and a block party from 4 to 8 p.m.
“The parade will line up from the old John P. Powell Middle School, and continue down the Martin Luther King Drive through town by the courthouse and back around to Krave Korner,” said Alesha Presley, coordinator and marketing manager for Krave Korner. “[After the parade, there will be a] block party which will have all African American vendors, food trucks, the football teams, basketball teams, cheerleaders, LaFayette Parks and Recreation, different dance groups, churches and different organizations.
“A lot of Black-owned businesses don't get much recognition, we're wanting to bring awareness to and attention to what they offer in the community to help boost their sales and get their name out there.”
Presley said the grand marshal for the parade will be Darryl Seroyer with the Silmon-Seroyer Funeral Home to honor the memory of his father Samuel Seroyer.
“Samuel Seroyer has left a legacy behind for his family and his children,” she said. “We will also honor Mr. Fletcher Carr, who has driven the school bus for the LaFayette public school system for about 35 years.”
With fun for all, Presley said the block party will provide a space for locals to support small businesses while enjoying the fun offered on the LaFayette Square.
“The block party will be open for dancing, music, fun games and we'll have bingo games,” she said. “We have a cooling station inside of Krave Korner for the elderly and for babies who need to come in out of the sun. The city of LaFayette is playing a major part in this as far as helping with the planning, preparation and organization of getting the city streets blocked off, secure and all of the things that we need for safety hazards and for that day.”
Along with dancing, food and shopping, Presley said those who attend can also possibly win a free prize.
“There'll be prizes, we're giving our raffle tickets at the block party, so they'll be door prizes," she said. "All of the vendors and businesses that are participating will be donating prizes from their business. So we'll be giving those away to all of the people who are coming out, and there's no fee for entry.”
Investing back into the community, Presley said the money raised from the Juneteenth parade will go to help the LaFayette varsity football team purchase new uniforms for their upcoming season.
“The team will have a new coaching staff for the 2026-27 school year,” she said. “They are in need of new uniforms and have a larger team, so we want to partner with them and help them with that as much as we can. All donations given for the participation in the parade will be given back to the LaFayette High School football team, and they will also be at the block party to sell hot dogs and bottled water as a fundraiser for them as well.”
Presley said she is excited that Krave Korner is hosting the LaFayette Juneteenth celebration and enjoys being a part of the community joining together to celebrate the holiday.
“I absolutely love Juneteenth, and I think it's a great thing for us to come together on holiday,” she said. “For us at Krave Korner, it's a great feeling to be able to start this, keep it going and to see the growth and the love that you share amongst the people in the community and surrounding cities that come from near and far to just celebrate with us. So, it's an absolutely great feeling to be a part of this.”
