Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and 19, is a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. It is celebrated on June 19 each year in commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day a proclamation ended slavery in Texas.

Cities across the country host events in celebration of Juneteenth each year, but Athens resident and producer Christopher Burks decided instead of traveling to a place like Nashville or Birmingham this year, he would rather help put together a festival closer to home. After spreading the word, securing vendors and sponsors, and filling out the appropriate paperwork for the City, the Juneteenth Festival in Athens was a go.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday on The Square, on the Marion Street side of the Limestone County Courthouse. Admission is free.

Burks said there will be five food vendors and 20 vendors overall, featuring themes like clothing, art, jewelry, and health and wellness.

There will be several musicians performing throughout the day and activities for children.

“This is something I wanted to do here in our community,” Burks said. “I want to bring people together and make them aware of this day and its significance. It symbolizes our freedom. It’s like Fourth of July for our culture, and we have to celebrate and get more knowledge.”

Burks said he had in mind what he wanted the festival to look like, then started calling and emailing around.

“The Lord has blessed me and helped me put this together,” he said. “Hopefully, Saturday, we have a nice community event.”

Burks said part of the reason he wanted to put the event together was the influence that his mother Ella Mae had on him. He said she was active in her community for years.

“This is something she embedded in me,” Burks said. “I wanted to continue that legacy. We need to come together, not just for Juneteenth, but the community, period.”

NAACP Juneteenth event

The Limestone County chapter of the NAACP is holding a Juneteenth event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lincoln-Bridgeforth Park, 815 Westview Ave., in Athens.

The event will include free COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, free gift cards for ages 12 through 40 who are vaccinated, and a free T-shirt and mask for everyone who is vaccinated.

For more information, contact Wilbert Woodruff at 256-227-8489.

National holiday

The United States Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make Juneteenth a federal holiday. As of press time Wednesday the bill was expected to pass the House of Representatives without opposition before being sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.