Little Rock prepares for 16th annual Juneteenth celebration with food, family fun

LITTLE ROCK, (KATV) — Get ready to celebrate Juneteenth in style this Saturday, June 21, as Little Rock gears up for a day filled with music, food, and family fun.

The holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is a time to honor the past and celebrate the vibrant culture of today.

Keith Fletcher, the Cultural Center Director at Mosaic Templars, shared the significance of Juneteenth.

“We’ve been celebrating Juneteenth as a country, really. It predates 1865,” he said.

“Emancipation Day and Freedom Day happened at different times. We know that the Emancipation Proclamation happened, and then two years post that we see, Juneteenth, that’s when the last, some of the last known enslaved in Galveston, Texas got word of freedom.”

Fletcher emphasized the importance of remembering the foundations and struggles that have shaped African American culture.

“When we think about the fabric and the foundation of who we are as African Americans, it’s rooted in where we started and where we came from,” he said.

This year’s celebration marks the 16th annual Juneteenth event in Little Rock, and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. “Some of the new things that people can expect is an expanded Kid Zone this year,” Fletcher said.

“We have our health and wellness village as well on our third floor.”

The event will feature over 100 vendors offering a variety of food, drinks, and crafts.

“Get your chicken leg, get your drinks, your lemonade, food, anything that you can imagine,” Fletcher said.

On the main stage, it will showcase a diverse lineup of local artists, including country, blues, gospel, R&B, and rock and roll performances.

“We try to make sure that it’s a nice eclectic mix, because we know that as a culture, we like a little bit of everything,” Fletcher said.

For those looking to get active, the event includes a unique “run through history” 5K race. Participants will have the opportunity to walk or run past historic sites such as Philander Smith College and Little Rock Central High. “It’s a really unique race,” Fletcher said.

“We encourage everybody to get up and move.”

The Juneteenth celebration is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

Lace up your sneakers, bring the family, and join in on the festivities this Sunday.