FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Historic Athens Announces Plans for Official Athens-Clarke County Juneteenth Celebration

Athens Juneteenth Celebration & Festival by Historic Athens and ACC People & Belonging Announced for June 19, 2026 in Downtown Athens, Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (May 29, 2026)– Historic Athens has been selected by ACC People & Belonging to organize the annual Juneteenth Celebration & Festival on June 19, 2026. This free event in Downtown Athens organized by Historic Athens is open to the wider community to celebrate the country’s second independence day and honor local culture and traditions with live performances, storytelling, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, interactive exhibits, and more.

The public is invited to gather at Hot Corner at 10:30 am to create signs to march together from College Square to City Hall where the official Juneteenth program begins at 11:00 am with the raising of the Juneteenth flag followed by a brief ceremony. The celebration then begins in full at 11:30 am, featuring live performances by local artists across a variety of music genres, dance, and spoken word, all reflecting the spirit and resilience of Juneteenth. The festival area includes food vendors, community organizations tabling, exhibits, educational programming, an artisan market, and children’s activities.  

Attendees can also enjoy a wide range of family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, face painting, interactive exhibits, and history education. Historic Athens is distributing the Juneteenth Kids Guide at the Athens Juneteenth Celebration by the Historic Athens Welcome Center, a booklet introducing young readers to the history of Juneteenth and the emancipation of enslaved people in Athens, traditional ways to honor Juneteenth, and space for reflection on what freedom means to them. In addition, the organization is also publishing zines (small booklets, short for magazine) about emancipation in Athens, the Day of Jubilee, as well as contemporary struggles for freedom.

As part of the event, pop-up interpretive signage will be displayed throughout the festival turning Downtown Athens into a museum for a day to highlight important places, individuals, and events in African American history. Signage denoting important protests in Athens history and modern day will be shown as part of the Athens Protest History project by Historic Athens. Through highlighting local examples of protest and the impacts such movements have had on the rights and liberties of all individuals, current and future generations of Athenians will be better informed and able to understand the progress which has been made. 

Additional programming includes the last ceremonial signature for the ‘Richardson-Davis Park’ petition, started by Historic Athens in 2025 to name the new downtown green space park, adjacent to the newly renovated Costa building after Alfred Richardson (c. ~1837-1872) and Madison Davis (c. ~1833-1902), the first Black elected officials to represent Athens, Georgia.

Historic Athens is introducing a new Juneteenth tradition to honor individuals whose work, empowerment, and resilience have created a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others. The Jubilee Award for Humanitarianism recognizes those who embody the spirit of progress, unity, and positive change through servant leadership. Public nominations are open to the public at bit.ly/jubileeaward26 until 5 PM on June 15, 2026.

“Juneteenth gives us the opportunity to honor and celebrate the anniversary of the freedom granted to all Americans,” says Denise Sunta, event organizer. “While Athens observes our own ‘Day of Jubilee’ nearly a month earlier, Juneteenth has become an important national moment to bridge communities through festivities and remembrance. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring people together in downtown Athens to be part of it.”

Athens Juneteenth Festival & Celebration will be held in downtown Athens on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm. Forms and nominations for the public are available via the links below:

• Food Vendor Registration: bit.ly/juneteenthfood26

• Retail & Artisan Vendors Registration: bit.ly/juneteenthmarket26

• Community & Nonprofit Organizations Tabling Registration: bit.ly/juneteenthtable26

• Jubilee Award for Humanitarian Nominations: bit.ly/jubileeaward26

For more news and updates, go to historicathens.com, athensjuneteenth.com, or follow @historicathens on social media. 

About Historic Athens (501c3): For nearly 60 years, Historic Athens has worked to be the historic preservation education and advocacy group the Classic City deserves through community programming, educational initiatives, direct preservation action, and advocacy. Our mission is to develop community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and our shared cultural heritage.

For event details, sponsorship opportunities, media inquiries, or additional information, please contact: 

Denise Sunta

Historic Athens Sr. Director of Operations

706-389-0662

denise@historicathens.com

Sarah Frazer

Historic Athens Director of Communications

706-389-0173

sarah@historicathens.com 

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