ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Juneteenth celebrations culminate Friday across Asheville with a full day of events downtown, highlighting music, food, vendors and community gatherings as part of a weeklong observance honoring emancipation and Black history.
In downtown Asheville, festivities begin at noon with The Block Collaborative Juneteenth Celebration along Eagle and Market streets, running through 8 p.m. The event features local vendors, food, art and cultural programming centered on Asheville’s historic Black business district.
Later Friday, Downtown After 5 will take over Pack Square Park beginning at 5 p.m., with live music, dancing, food and family activities. Organizers say the free concert series will serve as the evening anchor of the city’s Juneteenth programming.
The event is presented in partnership with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, which has helped coordinate a slate of educational and celebratory events throughout the week.
Earlier in the week, the celebration included programs Tuesday through Thursday at Stephens-Lee Community Center and other venues, featuring discussions on Black Asheville history, cultural presentations and a community recognition event where city leaders issued a Juneteenth proclamation. A legacy-focused program Thursday highlighted the work of local cultural and neighborhood organizations.
The week of observance concludes Saturday with a Juneteenth gala and fashion show at the A-B Tech Conference Center.
Gov. Josh Stein also issued a statement Friday marking Juneteenth, calling it “a powerful reminder of our history, resilience, and progress” and urging continued efforts toward justice and opportunity.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.