Lexington announces weeklong Juneteenth celebration with community events
Lexington will celebrate Juneteenth with a week of events beginning Sunday, June 14, Mayor Linda Gorton announced Thursday.
The city’s celebration will include eight events throughout the week, ending on Sunday, June 21, Gorton announced at Charles Young Park. Events will include live music, a pageant and other celebrations.
This marks the sixth year that Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the effective end of slavery in the United States, has been recognized as a federal holiday, and the seventh year that Lexington has held an official celebration.
“Lexington’s Juneteenth celebration is the result of the efforts of countless event organizers and community volunteers,” Gorton said. “We definitely have a lot of great things going on this Juneteenth, and we really thank all of you, because none of this can happen without you all.”
More details about Lexington’s 2026 Juneteenth festivities are available on the city’s website.
Sunday, June 14: Miss and Miss Junior Juneteenth Pageant
Operation Be You, Inc. will hold the first Miss and Miss Junior Juneteenth Pageant on Sunday, June 14 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Farish Theatre.
Roberta Davis, founder of Operation Be You, said the pageant is “years in the making” and is dedicated to uplifting young Black girls.
“It’s time for us to, for our young ladies, to showcase their talents culturally, with confidence and being their authentic selves,” Davis said. “And what better way to show that, but through this pageant. This pageant is about culture. It’s not about beauty, it’s about beauty from within.”
Tickets for the pageant can be purchased from Operation Be You for $5.
Sunday, June 17: Juneteenth Jubilee
Lexington’s oldest Juneteenth celebration, the Juneteenth Jubilee at African Cemetery No. 2, returns for its 21st year.
This year’s free event will take place on June 17 from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., and is titled “Crossroads in History: Campfire Stories of United States Colored Soldiers.”
Historian and event organizer Yvonne Giles said the encampment-style event will feature stories told around a bonfire by Civil War re-enactors about the United States Colored Troop.
“We had almost 30,000 Kentucky men who left to join the United States Colored Troops. Those who came back helped build the city and the communities that we know here,” Giles said. “These are the stories that we’re going to be telling.”
Friday, June 19: A Sense of Place Juneteenth Celebration
Historic preservation group A Sense of Place is hosting a Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at New Vine Baptist Church in Fort Spring.
Held in a historic Black hamlet, the free celebration will highlight how newly emancipated residents turned freedom into churches, schools, businesses and lasting community.
In addition to the presentation about Fayette County’s rural Black hamlets and free towns, the event will feature food, live music and preservation updates.
“Juneteenth is more than a commemoration of freedom; it is a celebration of resilience, perseverance, and the enduring strength of the Black community,” council member Joseph Hale said. “These hamlets represent more than historic places — they are enduring symbols of Black achievement, community building, and freedom realized.”
Friday, June 19: “I Am a Descendant of Nation Builders” Juneteenth Youth Celebration
On Friday, June 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Operation Be You will host “I Am a Descendant of Nation Builders” Juneteenth Youth Celebration.
The youth-led celebration will feature free performances centering young people as storytellers and heirs to their ancestors’ contribution to the formation of America.
Friday, June 19: Say It Loud Juneteenth Festival
Also at the Lyric Theatre, the Say It Loud Juneteenth Festival will feature a variety of free activities from noon to 8 p.m. on June 19.
Lyric Theatre Executive Director Christian Adair said there will be live music, cultural dance performances, group mural painting, food from local vendors and more.
“Think Soul Train — everyone’s going to be asked to sing along and line dance. We’re about celebrating people, celebrating love, celebrating culture and the history that made this America,” Adair said.
Saturday, June 20: Kentucky U.S. Freedmen Coalition Juneteenth Celebration
The Kentucky U.S. Freedman Coalition will host a Juneteenth Celebration in Charles Young Park from noon to 8 p.m. on June 20.
Director Marvin Young said it’s the Kentucky U.S. Freedman Coalition’s tenth anniversary of celebrating Juneteenth. There will be free food, giveaways, and entertainment for all ages, including live gospel and hip hop performances.
Saturday, June 20: SoulTeenth Fest
SoulTeenth Fest, presented by SoulFeast Week, will be held in Gatton Park from 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. on June 20. The free, family-friendly festival centers around Black food and will feature local vendors, performances from national and regional artists and cooking demos from top chefs.
Additionally, organizers will unveil a historical marker and collect soil at the site where Black lawyer and voting-rights activist R.C.O. Benjamin was shot in the back and killed in 1900.
Sunday, June 21: Wise Guys Urban Uplift Juneteenth Celebration
Hosted by Wise Guys Barbershop, the Urban Uplift Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Sunday, June 21 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. in Frederick Douglass Park.
The free event will feature a chess tournament, an amateur boxing event, live music, kids activities, guest speakers, food, vendors and local exhibitors.
“This year’s celebration is especially meaningful to us because we are also recognizing the upcoming 150th anniversary of Frederick Douglass Park,” event organizer Jayla Hudson said. “For generations, the park has been a place where families have gathered, children have played, memories have been made, and community has flourished. It’s history.”