The 2026 Yellow Springs Juneteenth celebration will take place on Friday, June 19, and will be held throughout the village. Shown here are drummers holding the beat at the 2021 Juneteenth gathering. (Photo by Reilly Dixon)
Yellow Springs to celebrate Juneteenth
- Published: June 18, 2026
This year’s local celebration of Juneteenth will take place throughout the day Friday, June 19, beginning with a gathering at 9:45 a.m. in front of Antioch College’s Olive Kettering Library, where a historical walk will begin at 10 a.m., led by 365 Project youth walking-tour guides.
The walk will conclude at the John Bryan Community Center front lawn, where, at 11 a.m., the 2026 YS Juneteenth program will begin, featuring songs performed by the World House Choir; remarks on the meaning of Juneteenth and the ties between African cultural expressions of freedom and Juneteenth celebrations; and readings from narratives of formerly enslaved people. The program will conclude by 12:30 p.m., and will be followed by a free Juneteenth lunch prepared by local chef Locksley Harper.
From 12:30–3:30 p.m., the YS Juneteenth Community Fair will take place on the Bryan Center lawn with music by DJ Basim and performances by Tronee Threat, Misty Gill and Friends and Phenom Brown.
From 5–7 p.m., at Little Art Theatre, a fundraiser for the Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College will feature a screening of the film “Chosen: A Love Letter to Black Trans Community,” about the 2025 Black Trans Reunion in New Orleans, followed by a panel discussion. Admission is $15.
Then, from 7:15–9 p.m., locally based artist Joshua Whitaker will be at the Village Cyclery courtyard on Dayton Street, where he will lead a Juneteenth Art Making Workshop honoring the legacy of Black American freedom. Participants may contribute to a group piece, make a piece to take home or both.
Donations for the day-long celebration may be made online at the365projectys.org. Questions may be emailed to the365Projectys@gmail.com.
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