A three-day celebration is planned for the Juneteenth weekend, and this year the final festivities will be held at Colorado State University.

The June 16-18 activities include concerts, a family bike ride, a 5K run/walk, dance parties, a basketball tournament, yoga, vendors and more.

Also called Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates the liberation of 250,000 Black slaves by federal troops in 1865. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation putting an end to American slavery in 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally received news they were free. On that day, Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in the coastal town, marking the end of slavery in the state.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday, and last year it was declared an official state holiday as well. Monday, June 19, is a paid day off for CSU employees.

Day one

Like last year, the Juneteenth community celebration kicks off at the Foothills Mall and the Boys and Girls Club of Larimer County, which will host a youth night on Friday, June 16. The opening concert features Colorado Springs-based artists The Reminders that night at the mall.

The event continues at the Foothills Mall the next day with a family bike ride, entertainment, food trucks, yoga and other activities. On Sunday, June 18, the action moves to the Lagoon area at CSU, where there will be a Father’s Day 5K, three-on-three basketball, soca dancing lessons, a community picnic, kid-friendly activities as well as a gospel performance.

“It is always very fulfilling and rewarding to provide the community with the Black cultural experience,” said Duan Ruff, director of the Black/African American Cultural Center.

Event lineup

The schedule is listed below, and some activities, like the 5K and basketball tourney, require registration. More information is available online.

Friday, June 16, 6-9 p.m.

• Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County – Fort Collins: Youth night featuring game room, outdoor film screenings and activities geared towards youth ages 12-17.

• Opening concert featuring The Reminders.

Saturday, June 17

• Foothills Mall: Main celebration featuring a vendor market with BIPOC-owned or -led businesses, food trucks, live entertainment, face painting, a TikTok dance party, yoga with Black yogis, African drum and dance circle, dancing to Afro Beats, a boxing exhibition, free educational workshops (including Dan Treanor’s Children’s Harmonica Workshop) and live musical performances from the FoCo Motown Review & Kid Astronaut.

Sunday, June 18

• Colorado State University – Lagoon Area: Father’s Day 5K, three-on-three basketball tournament, praise performance with Tarell Martin & C2 Mass Gospel Choir, kid-friendly activities and community picnic.

In addition to CSU, partners hosting the events include the City of Fort Collins and the United Way. Sponsors include Nutrien, 1st Bank, Woodward and SummitStone Health Partners.

About FoCo Juneteenth

The FoCo Juneteenth committee was formed by Bridgette Johnson, Louise Cutler and northern Colorado community organizations in 2021 to correct widely spread misinformation about Juneteenth by bringing the Freedom Day Celebration to life in northern Colorado. Led by volunteers and advocates from the community, the organization aims to celebrate Black and African American culture through an annual Juneteenth celebration. For more information and updates, visit www.FoCoJuneteenth.com, follow on Instagram at @focojuneteenth, and join the FoCo Juneteenth Facebook group.