Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, occurs annually on June 19. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth’s commemoration is on the anniversary date of June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver General Order No. 3. This message stated that the war was over, the Union had won, and it had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery.
The announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War and more than two years since President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
This is why we celebrate Juneteenth, as it honors the day all of the enslaved were legally freed.
Lexington Special Events
Juneteenth Jubilee
Presented by African Cemetery No. 2
African Cemetery No. 2, 419 East Seventh St.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The 18th annual celebration highlights the spirit of freedom and honors the Civil War soldiers who fought for that freedom.
Soulteenth Fest
Presented by SoulFeast Week
Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St.
Saturday, June 17, 2023 | noon – 6 p.m.
Celebrate black liberation and ingenuity through music, art, agriculture and food.
Juneteenth Independence Day Celebration
Presented by the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center
Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, 300 East Third St.
Saturday, June 17, 2023 | Doors open at 4 p.m.
Celebrating African American independence and artistic expression through live performances ranging from jazz, hip-hop, line-dancing, spoken word and opera.
Juneteenth Celebration
Presented by Kentucky U.S. Freedmen Coalition
Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, 577 East Third St.
Sunday, June 18, 2023 | 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Entertainment, food, information booths, vendors and community fellowship celebrating black American liberation.
Juneteenth Freedom Day
Presented by Wise Guys Barbershop & Georgetown St. Neighborhood Association
Douglass Park, 726 Georgetown St.
Sunday, June 18, 2023 | 2 – 8 p.m.
A community celebration with the goal to bring awareness to culture, history, equality and peace to the neighborhood through food, music and kids activities.
“A Sense of Place” Campaign Launch
Cadentown Missionary Baptist Church, 2950 Cadentown Road
Monday, June 19, 2023 | 11 a.m.
Remembering and celebrating the history of Fayette County’s rural Black hamlets.