Commemorating Juneteenth in Louisville

Learn about the history of this federal holiday through events and programs across the city.

A building with glass windows and various colored bricks.

The Juneteenth Gala at the Muhammad Ali Center will feature Juneteenth-inspired culinary dishes.

Photo by Steve Grider via Louisville Tourism

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Monday, June 19, is Juneteenth, which marks the end of institutional slavery in the US. This will be the fourth year of the Louisville Juneteenth Festival, which takes place on Saturday, June 18 at the Belvedere.

Here are three other events to check out before the big day.

Juneteenth Gala | Friday, June 16

This dinner honors the racial equity work of historians + future and present leaders at the Muhammad Ali Center. Tickets start at $150.

“The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” | Saturday, June 17

This one-person play tells the story of how this civil rights activist became the catalyst of the Voter’s Rights Act of 1965. Tickets for the 8 p.m. performance at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage start at $25.

An Evening with Former Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker | Monday, June 19

Hear Frank debut a collection of poems about African Americans in Kentucky during the Civil War at this free Frazier History Museum event.