BEREA–The Berea Human Rights Commission is holding a Juneteenth festival on June 13 and June 14 in Berea and Richmond to celebrate the emancipation of African Americans.

The event is meant to highlight the importance of learning African American history and recognizing the impact African American culture has had on America.

The festival portion of the celebration will be held Saturday, June 13, from noon to 4 pm at Dillingham Park in Richmond. The event will include information booths, vendors, food trucks, performances, and activities for children.

A musical celebration will follow on Sunday, June 14, from 3 pm to 7 pm at the Berea Skate Park at the intersection of North Broadway and Jefferson Street, that will feature several acts scheduled to perform throughout the afternoon.

Additional entertainment across the two dates will include violin performances, guest speakers, historical reenactments, and presentations from local high school students.

The year 2026 marks the third year the Juneteenth festival has been held in Berea. The event was expanded this year through creating the Madison County Juneteenth Celebration Weekend Committee, a group of representatives from several agencies throughout Madison County. The Committee was tasked with planning the celebration and providing education and community engagement opportunities for Madison County residents.

“One of the big things is that this year we have merged and we have created a county wide Juneteenth celebration," Felecia Ballard, chair of the Berea Human Right Commission, told The Edge in an interview. "Prior to that, Richmond and Berea have kind of had separate celebrations. Working on a countywide committee has been a tremendous experience and we have grown with one another,” Ballard said.

Ballard added that the celebration holds special significance for the area, especially since Berea College was founded by abolitionist, the Rev. John G. Fee, who preached that all races are equal in God's eyes. Berea College became the first interracial college in the South when it admitted black and white students together in 1855.

Headlining the musical event will be Nikki D & The Sisters of Thunder, a group traveling from Toledo, Ohio. Also to perform will be Billy Duvall Jr., a gospel singer known for his musical tribute to Stevie Wonder, and a graduate of Berea College.

“Nikki D & The Sisters...do a little bit of gospel and spiritual type things. It’s a little bit of country or western since one of the members of the group plays a steel guitar. You mix that with spiritual and gospel so that’s a whole new unique experience in itself," Ballard said.

“African American history is American history," said Ballard in the interview. "[It's an] opportunity where everybody’s culture can be explored, to get a better understanding, and really create better lines of communication."

The Berea community has shown more support for the Juneteenth celebration as the years go on, with each having more attendees and overall support, according to Ballard. “Really, it’s still growing. This is the third year so I think that [the community] is seeing it and it’s starting to develop a pattern of consistency," she said.

“The significance of Juneteenth celebration is to commemorate the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans," Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley said during the first regularly scheduled City Council meeting of June when he proclaimed this coming weekend as Juneteenth Weekend in Berea. "The theme is rooted in history, rising in power.”

Organizers of this year's Juneteenth event encourage attendees to bring their own chairs. Admission to all events is free. Additional information and promotional videos can be found on the Berea Human Rights Commission Facebook page.