The 19th annual Juneteenth festival will be from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday at Kelsey Park, 1920 Old Wilkesboro Road. The theme this year is “The Legacy Continues.” There will be featured entertainment, food and merchandise vendors. Admission to the event is free.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were free.
Proceeds go to the annual back-to-school event sponsored by Vashti Chapter No. 122 and King Ahauserus No. 127.