Athens Juneteenth Celebration
Friday, June 19, 2026
10:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Downtown Athens, Georgia
Organized by Historic Athens for Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, People & Belonging Department
Get Involved
Athens Juneteenth Celebration is a community-wide event. We invite businesses, food vendors, artisans, community organizations, schools, faith groups, and cultural institutions to participate!
Retail & Artisan Vendors
This community marketplace is for local artists, makers, and Black-owned businesses to showcase your products.
Food Vendors
All vendors must comply with ACC-UG composting, recycling, and permitting requirements.
Community & Nonprofit Organizations
Tabling space is offered for you to connect with attendees in the spirit of Juneteenth.
Jubilee Award for Humanitarianism
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.
Event Schedule
9:30 AM | VENDOR SETUP
Authorized Food Vendors, Retail and Artisan Vendors, and Nonprofit & Community Tables are welcome to begin setting up at 9:30 AM.
10:30 AM | COMMUNITY MARCH
The public will gather at Hot Corner to create signs and prepare for the march. At 10:30 AM, participants will march together from College Square to City Hall.
11:00 AM | JUNETEENTH FLAG RAISING
The official Juneteenth program begins at Athens City Hall with the raising of the Juneteenth flag, followed by a liberation ceremony.
11:30 AM - 3:00 PM | FESTIVITIES
Enjoy an afternoon of live entertainment, food vendors, community organizations, exhibits, educational activities, artisan vendors, and family-friendly programming!
3:00 - 4:00 PM | TEAR DOWN
Vendors and tables may begin breaking down. We ask everyone to honor the spirit of the Athenian Oath by leaving our downtown spaces better than we found them.
“Juneteenth gives us the opportunity to honor and celebrate the anniversary of the freedom granted to all Americans. 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.”
— Denise Sunta, Historic Athens Senior Director of Operations
Why
Juneteenth?
Historic Athens Welcome Center will be distributing their Juneteenth Kids Guide at the Athens Juneteenth Celebration. The Juneteenth Kids Guide is also free to download below.
Teachers, to request classroom sets of the Juneteenth Guide, please email libba@historicathens.com.
