JUNETEENTH
JUNE 19, 1865
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth commemorates the oldest date of the ending of slavery that we know of and dates back to 1865. June 19, 1865, union soldiers, including Colored soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, became a federal holiday June 17, 2021
JUNETEENTH 2026
MAKE PLANS TO JOIN US
THURSDAY . JUNE 18 - FRIDAY . JUNE 19
BECK 2026 JUNETEENTH
EVENT LINE-UP
Beck’s Juneteenth celebration kicks off Thursday, June 18, and continues through Friday, June 19! Mark your calendar and join us for an unforgettable 2026 commemoration filled with celebration, reflection, and community. All events are free and open to the public, and everyone is welcome!
Thursday, June 18, at 7 pm
Dancing Machine Concert
Tribute Band to: Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and the Jackson Five
Market Square, Downtown Knoxville
Bring your lawn chairs
Friday, June 19
Exhibit Opens at 10 am
Tracing Silhouettes: The History of Formerly Enslaved Persons at Mabry-Hazen
This exhibit opens on June 19 at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Ave
Friday, June 1, Parade: 10 am
Dr. Walter Hardy Park: 11 am
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission - Parade and Celebration
Beck will join the MLK Commission in leading the March to Freedom by honoring the legacy of the US Colored Troops.
JUNE 18
DANCING MACHINE
Beck will kick off our annual Juneteenth Commemoration with a special concert celebration on Market Square in Downtown Knoxville, featuring America's #1 tribute band dedicated to Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and the Jackson Five, DANCING MACHINE!
JUNE 19
OPENING OF NEW EXHBIT IN HONOR OF JUNETEENTH
Beck will kick off our annual Juneteenth Commemoration with a special concert celebration on Market Square in Downtown Knoxville, featuring America's #1 tribute band dedicated to Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and the Jackson Five, DANCING MACHINE!
DANCING MACHINE
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026 @ 7 PM
Downtown Knoxville Market Square
Kick off our annual Juneteenth Commemoration in Downtown Knoxville with a special concert celebration on Market Square, featuring DANCING MACHINE, America’s #1 tribute band dedicated to Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and The Jackson 5.
This free, community event opens our two-day celebration with an unforgettable evening of music, fellowship, and entertainment.
Juneteenth is a powerful time to honor freedom, reflect on history, and celebrate the richness of Black culture and expression. Join us as we come together to commemorate the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a brighter future filled with unity, creativity, and community.
BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIR!
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STOP BY BECK AND PURCHASE YOUR JUNETEENTH TEE-SHIRT
(New shirts in stock June 15)
BECK CULTURAL EXCHANGE CENTER
1927 Dandridge Dandridge Avenue
