Municipalities throughout western North Carolina will hold events the weekend of June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth, the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free.
Juneteenth, a federally recognized holiday, is recognized on June 19. It is also known as Jubilee Day. It became the 12th federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden Biden signed legislation establishing it.
The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston with news of freedom for enslaved Black people, two months after the Confederacy’s surrender and over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth is recognized as the nation’s second independence day, celebrated primarily in the African American community, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In observance of the holiday, banks as well as city and county offices throughout the region will be closed.
All United States Post Offices will also be closed.
People celebrate Juneteenth a variety of ways including community gatherings, historical education and cultural celebrations of Black history and resilience. To honor the holiday, people are asked to reflect.
Here is a list of Juneteenth celebrations around the western North Carolina region:
- Black Asheville 411 is a panel discussion on celebrating Asheville’s Black community that will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 17 at the Stephens-Lee Community Center in Asheville.
- The 2026 Juneteenth Gala and Fashion Show is a celebration featuring food, music, and encourages attendees to show off their African and prolific attire that will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, at the AB Tech Conference Center in Asheville.
- The Block is hosting Juneteenth on the Block that will include live music, historical tours, and a Black vender marketplace on South Market Street and Triangle Park in Asheville from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM.
- Mary C. Jenkins Community and Cultural Center includes an African American Historical Trolley Tour at 2 p.m. on Friday. There will also be a celebration at Silversteen Memorial Playground with live music, food trucks, and drum circles at noon on Saturday, June 20, ending with a worship service at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 21 in Brevard.
