Ypsilanti to honor Juneteenth with 3-day celebration

From June 19-21, 2026, Ypsilanti will celebrate its sixth annual Juneteenth celebration, Juneteenth Rising: Liberation Through Unity, at University Bank Commerce Center in Downtown Ypsilanti.

Juneteenth, or June 19, is a federally recognized holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. June 19 recognizes the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

In Ypsilanti, community members can join in local events honoring the holiday. Through the three-day celebration, guests can expect performances ranging from genres such as soul, jazz, hip hop, and gospel, as well as food and family friendly activities.

The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, June 19, at 6 p.m., joined by Mayor of Ypsilanti Nicole Brown, Washtenaw County Commissioner Crystal Lyte and other elected officials. Headlining the night will be Alise King, a Detroit soul singer, local artist DJ Buff1 and a performance by Formula 734. 

For the first time, the event will feature music therapy led by singer and songwriter Shiawassee in honor of the late Melvin Parson, a community leader and founder of We The People Opportunity Farm.

The evening will highlight Parson, his legacy, and the impact he left on the community. 

 “A legacy of that good soil changing work that we all have to do from the inside out and then we can do in our communities,” described Trische Duckworth, Ypsilanti’s Juneteenth Organizer. 

Festivities on Saturday, June 20, kickoff at 10 a.m. with registration for the Sickle Cell Awareness Walk, which will conclude with a check presentation from University Bank to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Michigan Chapter. 

Later on, Erica Burell, author of "What Would The World Be Without Black People?" will lead a children's story time. Daylong performances will feature award-winning blues and R&B music group Lady Sunshine & The X Band, local rapper Kid Jay, sounds by DJ Low and many other artists. 

For its first year as a sponsor, Washtenaw Community College's mobile classrooms will be featured at the event, one of its first stops since launching this summer. The mobile classroom is a flexible learning space designed to bring hands-on training, technology and student support services directly into communities throughout the region, accommodating 20 students at a time, Juneteenth organizers said in a Facebook post. 

The three day celebration will conclude Sunday, June 21, on Fathers Day at noon starting with its annual worship gathering. Local Pastor Greg Canon Jr. from Fresh Start Church will minister to the community. Attendees can also enjoy a praise dance performance, and the gospel concert starting at 3 p.m. To honor and pay homage to fathers, prizes will be given out throughout the day. 

“It is our hope that people leave understanding that this is more than a theme, that we understand that we must unify so we can bring about change and actually be the change that our community needs to see,” Duckworth said. “Liberation will come once we unify.”

The Juneteenth Rising: Liberation Through Unity three-day celebration takes place at University Bank Commerce Center at 301 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti.

The Ypsilanti District Library is celebrating Juneteenth this year by hosting a free "Juneteenth Jazz and Poetry" event Friday, June 19, at 3 p.m. at the Michigan Avenue Library Plaza, 229 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. Featured performers include Michigan Poet Laureate Melba Joyce Boyd and award-winning jazz bassist Marion Hayden, along with pianists Ian Finkelstein and drummer Tariq Gardner. 

For more information, visit Ypsilanti’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Facebook and visit Ypsilanti’s District Library event page.