Above photo: Kalaya, Brian and Saniya Miller enjoying last year's Juneteenth festivities!

Have you ever celebrated Juneteenth? The nationally-celebrated holiday, which originated in Galveston, Texas, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The original African American Emancipation Day was first celebrated on June 19 in 1865; now, annual Juneteenth celebrations across the country still focus on freedom, but also emphasize education, achievement and thinking towards the future.

If your family has never been part of a Juneteenth event, you'll have your chance this weekend at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC). Arkansas' Museum of African American History hosts the free, fun-filled block party from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 20.

Visitors will find plenty of family-friendly activities on Ninth Street, including a rock climbing wall, an art exhibit in the Arkansas Arts Center Artmobile, an aquarium provided by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, food trucks and lots of vendor booths to browse. And don't forget to look for Little Rock Family's booth, too. As a proud media sponsor of this year's Juneteenth event, we'll be celebrating all day and giving away some fun goodies to visitors!

There's also a full live music and performance schedule:

  • 11:35 a.m.: Worrellwin (Hip Hop)
  • Noon: Gloryland Pastors Choir (Gospel)
  • 12:40 p.m.: Kenya (R&B)
  • 1:15 p.m.: Patiencz (Hip Hop)
  • 1:40 p.m.: Out Loud Artistry (Dance Troupe)
  • 2:05 p.m.: Butterfly feat. Irie Soul (Reggae)
  • 2:55 p.m.: Livre (Gospel)
  • 3:35 p.m.: Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe (Hip Hop)
  • 4:20 p.m.: Big John Miller Band (Blues)

You can also head into the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center for a blast of air conditioning and several indoor activities:

  • 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: "Freedom! Oh, Freedom" Exhibit
  • 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Health Screenings from Little Rock Black Nurses Association
  • 11:30 a.m.-Noon: "Dollars Making Sense Community Enrichment Program" from Arvest Bank
  • 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m.: Filmmakers Corner Film Festival in the auditorium
  • 1 p.m.: Artists United “A Walk Down Ninth Street” Living History Presentation

Juneteenth will be held from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 20 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The event is free and open the public. For more information, visit MosaicTemplarsCenter.com.