Juneteenth Celebrations Planned In Glasgow, Lexington
Community-wide Juneteenth celebrations are planned once again in Glasgow and Lexington on the next two Saturdays, June 14 and 21, to observe Juneteenth, Freedom Day. These two Saturdays flank the historic date of June 19 that, at the close of the Civil War in 1865, marked the end of slavery in the United States.
This Saturday, June 14, from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Thompson Community Center, 207 Catalpa St., Glasgow, Juneteenth will be celebrated with field games, trivia competitions, refreshments, a dinner and the screening of an awardwinning film.
The free, family-friendly celebration starts with games, activities and refreshments during the afternoon on the newly restored playground. At 5 p.m., the center’s new pavilion will be dedicated, with the work of the Rockbridge Timber Framers and all who helped in the construction being thanked and honored. At 5:30 p.m., a picnic dinner will be served, followed by the screening of “The Six Triple Eight,” an Oscarnominated film written and directed by Tyler Perry.
The 2004 film, which won multiple NAACP Image Awards, is based on the true story of an all-Black, all-female battalion during World War II, whose work in the 6888th Central Postal Directory brought hope to families and soldiers alike.
On Saturday, June 21, festivities resume in Lexington’s Richardson Park from 6 to 9 p.m. All are invited to bring lawn chairs to the park, relax in the day’s twilight, and dust off your fans and boots to join the line-dancing craze. Children can romp around a huge bounce house, playground or basketball court, with the Lexington Police Department offering free snow cones and popcorn. New this year is a “Pop-Up” car show. Charlottesville’s 100 Proof Gogo Band returns this year to provide musical entertainment.
As one of the event’s coorganizers, Lexington Vice Mayor Marylin Alexander affirms, “Each year the size and diversity of the crowds simply amaze us. We want to emphasize that celebrating Juneteenth is not just an important event for Black Americans, celebrating the historic freedoms finally granted to slaves. Importantly today, Juneteenth collectively brings to light what it feels like, what it looks like, to be free in America. That is something we can all embrace, together!”
With nods to traditional foodways, an even wider variety of vendors has signed on this year, from Gospel Way Church’s famous fish dinners, to a broad menu provided by food trucks and restaurants selling Jamaican dishes, barbecue, Mexican food, charcuterie board boxes, desserts from Let Them Eat Cake, and more. Over a dozen craft vendors will be on site selling jewelry, boutique dresses and handbags, cutting board engraving, hair care products,
, page B2 and more. Local author Maxine Mays Gray will hold a book-signing and read excerpts from her recently published novel, “The Crows’ Post,” which centers on the mid-20th-century Black community in Glasgow that she and her family grew up in.
The Rockbridge Historical Society returns to Richardson Park to stage its community interviews and presentations on local education and travel during Jim Crow. RHS will once again partner with the Rockbridge Regional Library to welcome readers of all ages to a table where you can browse or borrow books from their collaborative “Juneteenth Reading List.” For a sampler of over 50 titles and summaries, spanning genres and topics for both adults and children, see tinyurl.com/ RHS-Juneteenth-Reading-List.
Through the course of the evening, RHS invites Rockbridge residents, particularly its senior generations, to take the opportunity to share their stories. With a camera and microphone on hand, RHS personnel will record participants’ memorable anecdotes or personal accounts of family, generational and institutional histories. Those who would like to schedule a specific time slot between 6 and 9 p.m., or arrange for a different date to record a more substantial conversation or oral history for the lasting archive, can contact RHS Executive Director Eric Wilson at Director@ RocbkridgeHistory.org.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/Juneteenth-2025.
A SCREENING of “The Six Triple Eight” will be presented during the Juneteenth celebration in Glasgow this Saturday, June 14.
