Third annual Juneteenth Jubilee returns to Freedom Center June 19

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Suzanne Buzek (513) 333-7519, sbuzek@nurfc.org

Third annual Juneteenth Jubilee returns to Freedom Center June 19

Free admission, live entertainment, food trucks, community market and more

CINCINNATI – The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is once again turning its interior space and Freedom Way into a festival that celebrates freedom this summer. The Freedom Center’s third annual Juneteenth Jubilee will feature live music, food trucks, health education, a community market and interactive activities for all ages around the history of Juneteenth. The June 19 event includes free admission to the Freedom Center, thanks to the Fifth Third Foundation.

“Juneteenth is a day of jubilation – from those who were enslaved and learned they were finally free in June 1965 to all people who are working towards collective liberation today,” said Woodrow Keown, Jr., president and COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “The Freedom Center is proud to provide the space and platform for us to not only celebrate and learn how we can activate inclusive freedom every day.”

True to the spirit of the earliest Juneteenth celebrations, the Freedom Center’s Juneteenth Jubilee brings people together around music, food and community. With a stage taking over Freedom Way, guests can sing and dance along to a DJ and live bands as they browse the 12+ Community Market vendors and sample a variety of tastes with a food truck feast. Hoxworth Blood Center will have a bus on-site to accept blood donations. 

“Succulent Eyez Eyewear is pleased to be a part of the Jubilee celebration of Juneteenth and the cultural experience,” said Ramona Adkins, owner of Succulence Group, LLC. “This is our second year attending, and it is an honor to be part of the vision, the memories, the fun and the enjoyment of the people. Especially being one of the places I love in the city, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.” 

Inside the museum, visitors can peruse exhibits and take part in pop-up programming focused on the theme “What does Afrofuturism mean to you?” The schedule of speakers and presentations will be announced soon. 

“Our Juneteenth celebration has grown exponentially over the past few years, signaling a reminder that freedom is unfinished work and that the community is committed to build a more equitable future,” said Shawnee Turner, VP Education and Interpretation at the Freedom Center. 

New this year to start the day’s festivities is a 2.5-mile walk. Cincinnati is one of 10 cities nationwide to host the 2026 National Opal’s Walk for Freedom, a Juneteenth observance honoring the end of slavery in the United States and the ongoing pursuit of inclusive freedom. 

Organized by the Texas-based non-profit Unity Unlimited, Inc., Opal’s Walk for Freedom is led by Dr. Opal Lee, widely known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” Participants in host cities across the country will walk 2.5 miles simultaneously, symbolizing the approximately 2.5 years between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free in 1865. Cincinnati is the first and only city in Ohio to host the walk. 

Juneteenth Schedule

Opal’s Walk for Freedom

Registration required

  • A 2.5 mile walk celebrating Juneteenth and honoring Ms. Opal Lee, “Grandmother of Juneteenth”
  • Registration is $39.44 and includes a T-shirt
  • On-site registration and arrival as early as 8:30 a.m.
  • Walk begins at 10 a.m.
  • Walking route starts and ends on Freedom Way in front of the Freedom Center 

Juneteenth Jubilee

Indoor and outdoor activities available

  • 11:00 – Freedom Way opens. All community market vendors, outdoor activities and performances available. Performance schedule coming soon.
  • 12:00 p.m. – Museum opens.
  • Admission is free thanks to the Fifth Third Foundation.
  • All exhibits and self-guided activities available. Speaker and performance schedule coming soon.
  • Reservations to view museum exhibits is recommended, but not required.
  • 5:00 p.m. – Museum closes. Community market, outdoor activities and performances come to a close.

Performances, Speakers and Programs

  • 2nd Wind Band
  • DJ Vader
  • Orlando Brown, Jr.
  • Hoxworth Blood Center

Community Market Vendors

  • African Fabrics and Things
  • Bella Fiamma
  • Chandra's Mary Kay
  • Cincinnati Cancer Advisors
  • Inspirational Bling Tees
  • KayBeez Kraftz
  • Kreative Solutions
  • Style and Grace Consignment
  • Stylish LeNese Boutique
  • Succulent Eyez Eyewear
  • The VAB Jewelry Boutique
  • Wisdom Flows

History of Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved people of the nation were now free. The date, now celebrated as Juneteenth, came more than two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and nearly 250 years after the first enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas. In 2021, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.

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About the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center opened in August 2004 on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Since then, more than 1.3 million people have visited its permanent and changing exhibits and public programs, inspiring everyone to take courageous steps for freedom. Two million people have utilized educational resources online at freedomcenter.org, working to connect the lessons of the Underground Railroad to inform and inspire today’s global and local fight for freedom. Partnerships include Historians Against Slavery, Polaris Project, Free the Slaves, US Department of State and International Justice Mission. In 2014, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center launched a new online resource in the fight against modern slavery, endslaverynow.org.­

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