# Lexington kicks off week-long Juneteenth celebration **Published:** 2026-06-04T19:21:02Z **Source:** City of Lexington Mayor's Office (press release, emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/lexington-kicks-off-week-long-juneteenth-celebration LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mayor Linda Gorton said the city is preparing for [its annual week-long Juneteenth celebration](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/06/04/lexington-announces-juneteenth-celebration-events-including-new-pageant/), with festivities running June 14-21 and featuring new events alongside longtime traditions. "Our Juneteenth celebration is made possible by the dedication and hard work of countless event organizers and volunteers who give their time and talents to create a meaningful experience for everyone in our community," Gorton said in a statement. The celebration provides "an opportunity to come together in honor of freedom and unity, while reflecting on our past, present, and future." [Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, became a federal holiday in 2021](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth), marking [the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth). The official holiday is June 19. Commemorative Juneteenth flags will line Main Street, and banners will be placed along the Legacy Trail from Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden to the North Lexington YMCA. Among the events are the inaugural Miss & Miss Jr. Juneteenth Pageant on June 14, celebrating "the brilliance, leadership, and cultural pride of Black girls and teens in Lexington," and the Juneteenth Jubilee on June 17 exploring Civil War history through "Campfire Stories of United States Colored Soldiers." The centerpiece "Say It Loud" Juneteenth Festival on June 19 will feature a vendor fair at noon, youth leadership presentations at 1 p.m., and live performances by a national recording artist at 6 p.m. The Kentucky US Freedmen Coalition will host its 10th annual Juneteenth celebration at Charles Young Park on June 20, marking the sixth year of its partnership with the city. SoulFeast's Soulteenth Fest also on June 20 will include cooking demonstrations and an unveiling of a historical marker honoring R.C.O. Benjamin, killed in 1900 for voter registration efforts. Other events include "A Sense of Place" Juneteenth Celebration in historic Ft. Spring hamlet on June 19, and WiseGuys Urban Uplift's celebration at Douglass Park on June 21, coinciding with the park's approaching 110th anniversary. All events are designed to be inclusive, with one organizer noting "everyone is invited to every one of these events no matter of who you love, no matter of how you celebrate your spiritual beliefs, no matter your skin tone." ## Sources - [WKYT reporting on Lexington's Juneteenth celebration announcement](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/06/04/lexington-announces-juneteenth-celebration-events-including-new-pageant/) - [Wikipedia article on Juneteenth's federal holiday status](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth) - [Britannica encyclopedia entry on Juneteenth](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth) - [WUKY reporting on Lexington organizers' perspectives](https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-06-04/amid-fraught-political-times-lexington-organizers-see-juneteenth-celebrating-creative-resilient-community) - [WKYT article on Soulfeast Week expansion](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/04/11/soulfeast-week-enters-sixth-year-with-statewide-expansion-new-venues/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) from a press release emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news by City of Lexington Mayor's Office, enriched with 2 web searches.