Athens Juneteenth Festival & Celebration

Celebrate Juneteenth in Athens! 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.
DAY-OF SCHEDULE
10:30 am - Community march from Hot Corner to City Hall
11:00 am - Flag Raising & Liberation Ceremony
11:30 AM to 3:00 pm- Festival activities, performances, food, vendors, exhibits, and more
See more at historicathens.com/athens-juneteenth
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Attendees can 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 focusing on emancipation in Athens and touch on Day of Jubilee as well as more contemporary struggles for freedom.
Additional programming includes the last ceremonial signature will be taken for the ‘Richardson-Davis Park’ petition by Historic Athens, started 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.
REGISTRATION
We are looking for vendors! Athens Juneteenth Celebration is a community-wide event. We invite businesses, food vendors, artisans, community organizations, schools, faith groups, and cultural institutions to participate! See below for registration links:
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
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
[email protected]
Sarah Frazer
Historic Athens Director of Communications
706-389-0173
[email protected]