Jackson residents celebrated the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth over several days at festivities throughout the Capital Region. One of those public events was the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 20.

Juneteenth celebrates the anniversary of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learning they were free on June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The celebration was historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Emancipation Day. 

Juneteenth became recognized as a federal holiday after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021. 

Here are some photos from the celebration.

A wide view of a brick road on Farish Street where an outdoor festival is being held
Jackson residents gathered between vendors to watch musical performances at the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP Photo by Grace Marion
People walk around and shop at tents lining a brick road
Members from Jackson People’s Assembly ran two tables at the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP photo by Grace Marion
A woman in a brown outfit dances on an outside stage as she sings
Musician Kandy Janai performed at the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP photo by Grace Marion
A woman, holding a folding chair on her back and a small black and white dog on a leash, leans into a blue food truck to order
A variety of food trucks and stands participated in the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP photo by Grace Marion
Two women in blue garb work their art booth at an outside festival
Designs by Dij was among a variety of local vendors who participated in the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP photo by Grace Marion
A large crowd is gathered on Farish Street for an event. The Alamo is seen on the left.
A crowd gathered to watch performers at the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP Photo by Grace Marion
A woman raps on a large music stage on Farish Street as a large crowd watches
Rapper Breda G was among the musicians performing at the Farish Street Juneteenth Festival in Jackson, Miss., on June 20, 2026. MFP Photo by Grace Marion

Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of Juneteenth festivities and read past stories here. 

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Capital Bureau Reporter Grace E. Marion is covering the capital city, Jackson, as well as surrounding rural, urban and suburban areas in Hinds County, Madison County and Rankin County. She is a reporter and photojournalist with a passion for narrative writing and investigative reporting. Her work as a journalist has earned her coverage in publications like the Columbia Journalism Review, the Hechinger Report, and the Student Press Law Center. Grace is a member of the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Grace graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media in 2022 with a degree in print and broadcast journalism, and from the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2024.