KLEK’s 6th annual Juneteenth in Jonesboro is building on the momentum of last year’s events which engaged over 16,000 people and won the Betty T. Sloan Promotional Award by the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce for promoting the City of Jonesboro in a positive light. 

With this being the third year of Juneteenth being a national holiday, our Juneteenth in Jonesboro celebration will be a 4-day event beginning on Thursday, June 15 and going through the official Juneteenth holiday on Monday, June 19. All events are FREE! A full detailed list of events and performances as well as more information is on http://juneteenthinjonesboro.com 

This year’s celebration is dedicated to Qubilah Jones, longtime host of KLEK’s “Community Conversations” who was also the visionary for our Juneteenth in Jonesboro Celebration and passed away December 31, 2022. 

Schedule of Events

Thursday, June 15 – Juneteenth Kickoff/Popup Shop/Black Business Expo

• Juneteenth Kickoff and Pop Up Shop/Black Business Expo 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Legends BBQ Smokehouse 1025 W. Johnson Avenue in Jonesboro.

Friday, June 16 – Juneteenth Community Worship Service

• Juneteenth Community Worship Service featuring several local churches. 6:30 p.m. at New Life Empowerment Ministries, 2113 North Church Street in Jonesboro (across from where the new Southern Chef is being built)

Saturday, June 17 – Juneteenth Health Fair, Parade, Community Fair, and Fireworks

• Juneteenth Health Fair and Blood Drive – 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at St Bernard’s Auditorium, sponsored by St. Bernard’s and The American Red Cross
• Juneteenth Parade 11:00 a.m. (participants are being asked to first go to St. Bernard’s for the Health Fair then Come to the E. Boone Watson Center at 9:30 a.m. for line up)
  • This year’s Juneteenth Parade Hosts will be KAIT’s Imani Williams and Shamal Carter, President of the Craighead County Chapter of the NAACP. The parade route will start at the E. Boone Watson Center, go north on Patrick Street, West onto Creath Street, South onto Church street where the Grandstand will be at Centennial Rotary Park the east onto Monroe Back to the E. Boone Watson Center.

• The Juneteenth Community Fair will be at 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Parker Park. The fireworks display will begin at 9:15 p.m. and viewing will be at Parker Park.

Monday, June 19 – Juneteenth Proclamation

• Mayor Harold Copenhaver will read the Juneteenth Proclamation and there will be a bubble blowing ceremony and reception at the KLEK Studio 1411 Franklin Street in Jonesboro. This program will begin at 3:00 p.m.

About KLEK’s Juneteenth in Jonesboro

KLEK began celebrating Juneteenth in Jonesboro the Saturday before the unofficial holiday on June 16, 2017 at University Heights Lions Club Park. KLEK has held it every year since then to commemorate Juneteenth, celebrating the final day African-Americans were enslaved thanks to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that Union Soldiers landed at Galveston, TX with the news of the enslaved people’s freedom and end of the Civil War. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation officially making Juneteenth a national holiday to commemorate the occasion and to celebrate freedom for all Americans.