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Lakeland will continue a decades-long tradition of celebrating Juneteenth, officially celebrated on June 19. The holiday marks the day when Union troops arrived in Texas and informed enslaved people they were free, over two months after Robert E. Lee’s surrender.
While the holiday gained national recognition when Congress established Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, Lakeland has been celebrating much longer.
The Juneteenth Heritage & Cultural Preservation Association, founded by Doris Moore Bailey, has organized events since 1991. The association describes this year’s events as part of its ongoing mission to preserve and promote the history and significance of Juneteenth. Its morning program will kick off the festivities at Jackson Park and a banquet will end the evening at the Coleman-Bush Building on June 20.
New leaders, new traditions
Alongside those longstanding observances, a new generation of community leaders has created its own tradition.
The Juneteenth Freedom Festival, organized by Reggie Cannon, Symone Alexander Wilson and a group of young professionals, will return June 27 at Simpson Park. Now in its fourth year, the festival was created after Cannon returned to Lakeland with a vision for a community-centered Juneteenth celebration.
“The reason for starting this event was to plant a seed of what Juneteenth was,” Cannon said.
Cannon sees Juneteenth as a time of remembrance, but also an opportunity for education. He himself had never heard of Juneteenth until attending a historically black university. Now, he’s passionate about educating younger generations in Lakeland about the significance of the holiday.
“Our goal is to make sure that our community, our younger community, know what Juneteenth is and what it represents,” he said.
What started as a community event funded by the organizers has grown through sponsorship and community support.
“Going into our fourth year, the community is excited about it,” Cannon said. “They’re asking, ‘Are you guys having it? How can we become a vendor? How can we support it?'”
This year’s sponsors include the Junior League of Lakeland and Target of South Lakeland, along with about 50 vendors and community businesses.
The festival is expected to have live entertainment, local food vendors, a children’s play area, and historical demonstrations.
One new feature will be a reenactment by the Buffalo Soldiers, who will present an educational program on the events surrounding emancipation and the origins of Juneteenth.
Cannon said organizers intentionally scheduled the festival for the final Saturday of June to avoid conflicting with the official Lakeland observance organized by the Juneteenth Heritage & Cultural Preservation Association.
“We just pushed ours back to the last Saturday of the month,” Cannon said. “We’re not competing against any other cities… all the Juneteenth events have taken place, so everyone comes out and just kind of celebrates the last Juneteenth event of the month.”
The decision reflects what Cannon described as a shared commitment to honoring the holiday while expanding opportunities for residents to participate.
In addition to the two festivals, Lakeland Comedy Club, a popup comedy event will be hosting a “Juneteenth Comedy Show” at Stage Room Lakeland at 10 East Lemon Street, Lakeland, FL on Friday, June 19 from 9- 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.
As Juneteenth celebrations continue to grow nationwide following federal recognition of the holiday, Cannon said local observances remain essential for preserving history and passing it to future generations.
“If we don’t teach it, who else is going to teach it?” Cannon said.
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