People march down State Street during the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. People marched from the Capitol to The Gateway where a festival featuring food trucks, live entertainment, a business expo and an art gallery took place. Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Hundreds of people gathered in Salt Lake City on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the day in 1865 when enslaved people living in Texas learned they were free, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
In Salt Lake City, events were held to celebrate the holiday, including a walk from the Utah State Capitol, as well as music, food, art and a Black Business Expo, which was first held in 2021 amid the pandemic.
“As you probably know, a lot of small businesses were failing at that time, but black owned businesses were specifically failing at an exponentially higher rate,” organizer Cleopatra Louise Balfour told KSL. “So, we wanted to see how we can support the development of those businesses.”
Salt Lake City’s sixth annual Juneteenth celebration featured more than 60 vendors.
The holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States was recognized across the nation, including in Galveston, Texas, where the historic event took place.
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“It is important. It’s a holiday for all Americans to celebrate because what it is, is it’s celebrating the progress that we’ve made as a nation,” Balfour said.
Everett Spencer plays a djembe during the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. People marched from the Capitol to The Gateway where a festival featuring food trucks, live entertainment, a business expo and an art gallery took place. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
People march down State Street during the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Esther Kasue organizes her artwork at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. Hosted by Beloved Community, the gathering honored Juneteenth National Independence Day, our nation’s newest federal holiday, with vibrant programming that centered Black freedom, excellence, and resilience. The celebration began with a unity walk from the Utah State Capitol to a festival at The Gateway, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, roller skating, cultural showcases, and the Black-Owned Business Expo and the Black Art Gallery. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
People walk past businesses at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. Hosted by Beloved Community, the gathering honored Juneteenth National Independence Day, our nation’s newest federal holiday, with vibrant programming that centers Black freedom, excellence, and resilience. The celebration began with a unity walk from the Utah State Capitol to a festival at The Gateway, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, roller skating, cultural showcases, and the Black-Owned Business Expo and the Black Art Gallery. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Adam Clawson performs at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. Hosted by Beloved Community, the gathering honored Juneteenth National Independence Day, our nation’s newest federal holiday, with vibrant programming that centered Black freedom, excellence, and resilience. The celebration began with a unity walk from the Utah State Capitol to a festival at The Gateway, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, roller skating, cultural showcases, and the Black-Owned Business Expo and the Black Art Gallery. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
People walk past businesses at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. Hosted by Beloved Community, the gathering honored Juneteenth National Independence Day, our nation’s newest federal holiday, with vibrant programming that centered Black freedom, excellence, and resilience. The celebration began with a unity walk from the Utah State Capitol to a festival at The Gateway, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, roller skating, cultural showcases, and the Black-Owned Business Expo and the Black Art Gallery. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
People shop at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. Hosted by Beloved Community, the gathering honored Juneteenth National Independence Day, our nation’s newest federal holiday, with vibrant programming that centered Black freedom, excellence, and resilience. The celebration began with a unity walk from the Utah State Capitol to a festival at The Gateway, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, roller skating, cultural showcases, and the Black-Owned Business Expo and the Black Art Gallery. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Everett Spencer gestures to a helicopter flying overhead during the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Darlene McDonald speaks at the 6th annual Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 19, 2026. People marched from the Capitol to The Gateway where a festival featuring food trucks, live entertainment, a business expo and an art gallery took place. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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