The annual Juneteenth observance celebrating African-American freedom and heritage will take place Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., on the hill at Fourth and Monroe streets in Lynchburg.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of African-Americans during the Civil War. The event is free and open to the public. The celebration, sponsored by the Juneteenth Coalition, will coincide with the public opening of "For Our Own Good: African American Civic and Social Groups in Central Virginia" at the Legacy Museum.

Other Juneteenth activities will include a health and safety fair across the street from Legacy at the Fifth Street Baptist Church, family-oriented music, arts and crafts, open mic, food and drink vendors, activities for children at Legacy's new Activity Center, and black-history tours of the Old City Cemetery. Exhibits and activities are also free and open to the public.

Parking will be available on Fifth Street, in the public lot at Fifth and Polk, and in the old Adams Motor Co. lots at Fifth and Federal. Lawn chairs are suggested.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The celebration of Juneteenth initially grew out of the freed slaves' desire to remember that great day in June 1865.

Today, Juneteenth celebrates African-American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.