Lexington City leaders announce plans for Juneteenth

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton announces the city’s plans to celebrate Juneteenth, and it’s not just a one-day event.

The Mayor announced the Juneteenth celebration in front of the Cadentown Rosenwald School, which was a schoolhouse for rural African Americans.

The city’s holiday celebrations will start on June 14 and conclude on the 21.

Events will be filled with history lessons, food, music and dance.

Events highlighting the celebration in Lexington include:

• 20th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee, 7-8:30 p.m., June 14, African Cemetery No. 2, 419 East 7th St.: Lexington’s original Juneteenth Celebration will again highlight the spirit of freedom, and honor the Civil War soldiers who fought for that freedom. Sgt. Robert Bell, of the 12th Heavy Artillery, will provide the keynote address on the evolution of the American flag (National Flag Day is June 14). The event will also include “A Soldier’s Story,” presented by Grace Davis, a history major at the University of Kentucky and current summer intern at Camp Nelson National Monument.
  • Speaker – Lexington historian Yvonne Giles.
• WiseGuys Juneteenth Father’s Day Celebration, 2-8 p.m., June 15, 726 Georgetown St.: A community celebration to raise awareness of culture, history, equality, and bring peace to the neighborhood through food, music and youth activities.
  • Speakers – Jayla & Champ Hudson
• “A Sense of Place” Juneteenth Celebration, 11 a.m., June 19, 705 Caden Ln.: A special celebration honoring freedom and community in one of Lexington’s historic Black hamlets. Experience a day filled with live music, cultural performances, food, and engaging storytelling that highlights the rich history and resilience of the community. The program will also feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the recent renovation of the historic Cadentown Rosenwald School.
  • Speaker – Councilmember-at-Large James Brown
• We Still Dance: A Juneteenth Celebration of Rhythm, Resilience, and the American Spirit, 4 p.m., June 19, The Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center, 300 E. Third St.: “We Still Dance” is a community event designed to uplift and inspire through music, movement, and storytelling. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s iconic poem “And Still I Rise,” the event honors the enduring spirit of the American people, and the contributions that continue to define the soul of the country.
  • Speaker – Christian Adair
• Kentucky U.S. Freedmen Coalition, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., June 21, Charles Young Park, 215 Midland Ave. Entertainment, food, information booths, vendors, and community fellowship celebrating Black American liberation.
• Soulteenth Fest, 2-9 p.m., June 21, Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St.: Celebrates black liberation and ingenuity through music, art, agriculture, and food.
  • Speaker – Martina Barksdale

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