A three day festival dedicated to keeping the memory of Frederick Douglass alive kicked off on Friday.
The City of Rochester is celebrating Douglass' 200th birthday with a yearlong tribute to his life and legacy.
The Frederick Douglass Festival is hosted annually by the Friends of Frederick Douglass.
The festival started with a trip from Rochester to Auburn, New York to tour the path of the underground railroad and the home of Harriet Tubman.
“We may have another Douglass, another Tubman or another leader within this group of children, said Juanita Elizabeth Carroll of the Friends of Frederick Douglass. "We believe that this year, 200 years later, is a sterling opportunity for us to look at his life.”
Two of Douglass' descendants also went on the tour. They will be joined by more of Douglass' relatives as they honor him throughout the weekend at the festival
“Frederick Douglass will always be bigger than life, said Douglass` great great grandson, Kevin Douglass Greene. "African Americans and all Americans are able to take the opportunities that Frederick Douglass helped create for everyone.”
The Frederick Douglass Festival will continue Saturday with a wreath laying ceremony at the Frederick Douglass Statue in Highland Park. It will conclude on Sunday.