Juneteenth is less familiar to many Americans than Independence Day, Labor Day, or Memorial Day. According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, June 19, 1865, was a significant day for more than a quarter of a million African Americans living in Texas at the time. It had been nearly two years since President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, but Union troops did not arrive with news of that freedom until June 1865. That is when slaves were advised that they had been emancipated and would now be classified as laborers by their employers. 

President Lincoln did not live to hear the news of that message, due to his assassination on April 15, 1865. Equally notable is the day General Granger delivered the news to Texas was more than two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee formally surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. 

Though it took until 2021 for Juneteenth to gain formal recognition as a federal holiday, which means non-essential U.S. federal government offices are closed. Many other institutions, including banks, schools, and financial markets, also close as a courtesy. History.com notes that the day is considered the longest-running African American holiday. And while many celebrations immediately broke out upon General Granger’s delivery of President Lincoln’s proclamation, some slave holders in Texas withheld the information until the harvest season was completed.   

This year’s 50th Annual Buffalo Juneteenth Festival takes place on Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, featuring a parade on June 13 at 10 a.m. The 2026 celebration actually runs from June 5 through June 21, with various events including a 50th Anniversary Gala on June 5. See https://www.buffalojuneteenth.com to learn more.