21st ANNUAL NC JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
Saturday, June 20, 2026 – Durham, NC
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER!
PARTICIPATION INFORMATION
To become a sponsor, CALL 919-697-0328
To become a vendor, REGISTER HERE!
To volunteer, REGISTER HERE!
To perform, submit your bio, headshot, and a sample of your music and EMAIL ALL 3 TO [email protected].
21st Annual North Carolina Juneteenth Celebration
This fun-filled, educational and uplifting event, from 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm, kicks off with the official Opening Ceremony that includes a processional with dancers, drummers, and the community, is followed by a presentation by the United States Colored Troops, prayer, proclamations, pouring of the libation, and presentations on the origin and significance of Juneteenth.
Entertainment throughout the day will feature national recording artists and local performers. Vendors sell an array of African and African-American clothing, art and artifacts, specialty items, crafts, and delicious foods.
The Children’s Village has games, face painting, crafts, and other fun, educational activities and information. The Health Fair includes COVID testing, vaccination appointments, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and HIV screenings. Medical professionals from area health centers and hospitals are available for consultations.
Organizations will have Exhibitor Booths to inform the men, women, youth, and families of services (mentoring, tutoring, mental health, substance abuse, job services, etc.) and activities (summer camp, day camp, after school, athletic teams, etc.) available in the surrounding areas. Experts in their respective fields provide information, activities, and demonstrations.
History of Juneteenth
On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation set the United States on the path of ending slavery. A wartime measure issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the proclamation freed relatively few slaves, but it fueled the fire of the enslaved to strike for their freedom. The celebration of Juneteenth originates from Galveston,
Texas, where on June 19, 1865, the word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved. Often cited as the African American Independence Day, Juneteenth has been the subject of city, state, and federal legislation in recent years, establishing it as a special day of recognition, and as one of the fastest growing events in the country.
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Today, Juneteenth is embraced and celebrated by all races and ethnicities in honor, and in commemoration of African American culture and achievements. In 2007, North Carolina became the 26th state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or a state holiday observance when it is recognized nationally. April 2009, Juneteenth Celebration in Durham was officially designated as The Annual North Carolina Juneteenth Celebration by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. On June 17, 2021, it was officially announced that June 19 will be known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
History of Juneteenth: http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm
This fun-filled, educational, and uplifting event includes entertainment throughout the day featuring national recording artists & local performers, food & merchandise vendors, health fair, kids zone, exhibitors, fashion show, & more!