Lubbock will mark the upcoming Juneteenth holiday with four days of celebrations and events starting Thursday, June 18 through June 21.
This year’s theme, The Reunion, aims to bring the community together through a vibrant series of events that honor Black history, culture and freedom, according to Lubbock’s RISE UP Juneteenth Committee.
“The theme came from us just looking at the state of the country and what we’re in and how fitting the time is to call a reunion where you can invite friends, family or neighbors and the entire community to come together and celebrate what the Emancipation Proclamation meant,” said organizer D’Juana McPherson.
The celebrations begin Thursday with a kickoff event from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Patterson Branch Library, 1836 Parkway Drive, followed by a glow-in-the-dark party that evening after 5:30 p.m. at the Patterson Branch Library.
On Friday, there will be a communitywide cookout featuring live music and food starting at 6:30 p.m. in Mackenzie Park.
Saturday’s events begin with Senior Breakfast – free for folks 62 and older – from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Mae Simmons Community Center, 2004 Oak Ave.
The Juneteenth Parade will run from 10 to 11:15 a.m. starting near Broadway and Avenue A, turning right onto Canyon Lakes Drive and ending at the R.O.C.C. Fitness parking lot. A freedom fest will run from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Mackenzie Park, featuring kids activities, a health fair, ice cream eating contest, live music, food trucks and vendors, cooling station and more.
The Freedom Celebration and Fireworks Concert will start at 6:30 p.m. in Mackenzie Park and will feature food vendors, live music followed by a fireworks show after dark.
The “Choir Rehearsal With Friends With Will Johnson” will cap off the weekend of events starting at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theater.
Celebrating Juneteenth
Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday on June 19, marks the emancipation of slaves after the Civil War.
Though former President Abraham Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t until two years later in Galveston that many individuals learned about their freedom.
Texas has marked Juneteenth as a state holiday since 1980, but it wasn’t until 2021 that President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it a federal holiday.
“It is a celebration of resiliency of the human spirit,” Lubbock event organizer Cory Powell said. “It’s a tenacity of those who, you know, endured the horrible institution of enslavement and to get to the place where they were no longer in that space, but had literally come to a spot of recognizing, liberty and justice for all being a reality.”
Powell noted that all the events in this year’s celebration are free for everyone and include events for all age ranges.
“This is a celebration of the community. We want people to realize, regardless of age, from the cradle beyond, there’s something for everyone,” Powell said.
Lubbock’s RISE UP Juneteenth organization states that all are encouraged to participate in this celebration of the resilient human spirit. The weekend is free and open to the public, including activities for all age groups along with live music, wellness initiatives, youth programming and more.
“It’s an awareness, it’s a celebration. It’s a commemoration,” Powell said. “And it is an empowerment opportunity for us as we move forward and encourages us to work together collectively to accomplish what we all believe is the American dream.”
For the full event details or any updates, you can visit lubbockjuneteenth.com or follow @LubbockJuneteenth on Instagram and Facebook
Sofia Bueno is a 2026 summer reporting intern for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and a journalism student at Texas Tech. Have a news tip? Email the A-J at newmedia@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Here’s how Lubbock will celebrate Juneteenth with 4 days of events
Reporting by Sofia Bueno, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sofia Bueno, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
