HOUSTON — On Saturday, the first day of the Juneteenth Culture Fest at Avenida, kicked off with dozens of people in attendance. The event celebrating Juneteenth as the end of slavery featured a pop-up market with arts, food, music and it’s a chance for small business owners to interact with the crowds.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday Thursday marking the day when slaves in Texas were told about the Emancipation Proclamation, two years after it had been announced.

The community gathered to celebrate the upcoming holiday of Juneteenth, which commemorates Black emancipation in the United States. Officially becoming a national holiday in 2020, Juneteenth has been recognized annually by the NAACP of Omaha through a community-wide celebration.

Hundreds of people across San Antonio made their way to Sam Houston High School and Comanche Park on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth five days early.

The National Weather Service predicts a wet week in Nashville with a series of showers and thunderstorms, high humidity, and warm evenings affecting outdoor activities and Juneteenth celebrations.

The Rochester NAACP hosted the 20th annual Juneteenth celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Rochester on Saturday.

Juneteenth is the celebration of Black Americans who were freed from bondage in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865, 2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth parade rolled through downtown Waco on Saturday, June 14, celebrating the federal holiday coming up June 19.

Troy University's Rosa Parks Museum held its 10th annual festival Saturday, with more celebrations on the horizon.