Junction City will celebrate Juneteenth this Saturday in Heritage Park with events starting at 11 a.m. and lasting well into the afternoon and evening.

Jim Sands, City Commissioner explained that activities will kick off earlier than that as well.

“We’ll start like eight o’clock tomorrow we want to do just a fun walk, about a three mile walk laid out throughout the city. They’ll come back cool down have some doughnuts, some coffee, one of the vendors will bring in some sample cups of coffee,” Sands said.

Following that they will do some Zumba and enjoy some more doughnuts and coffee. At eleven o’clock will be the proclamation and the kick off of the event.

Juneteenth is the annual celebration of the freeing of African Americans June 19th, 1865, Sands explained.

“Even though it actually occurred two years before that, by the signing of the President, June 19th, 1865, was the last of the African Americans being freed in Texas. From there the celebration continued throughout the United States, and that’s why we’re celebrating here in Junction City.”

The celebration has been going on in Junction City for the past 16-18 years according to Sands and is open to everybody,”come learn educate and we promote diversity.”