Saturday, June 20: The celebration will continue on Saturday, June 20, 2026, noon–8:00 p.m. at Town Center Park in downtown London with food, music, re-enactment, spoken word, children’s activities, and a block party from 6-8 p.m.

Sunday, June 21: Laurel County African American Heritage Center will host an afternoon of activities from 2:00–6:00 p.m. with food, music, socializing, and a tribute to fathers. Events are free and open to the public. All are invited to join as we remember our ancestors, rejoice in celebrating freedom, and reimagine our future.

Juneteenth (a blend of "June" and "Nineteenth") is an annual holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It marks the day, June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure all enslaved people were finally freed, a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War, declaring that all enslaved individuals in the secessionist Confederate states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

The weekend of activities is hosted by the Cumberland Chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Laurel County African American Heritage Center, City of London, and sponsored in part by London Tourism & Parks.