Greetings from the New Mount Zion Baptist Church and the Shelby County Juneteenth Celebration Committee. We have great plans and look forward to our 1^st Annual Shelby County Juneteenth Celebration and recognition of “Juneteenth Day” as a National Holiday. With this being our very 1^st Shelby County Juneteenth Celebration we want to serve as a respected voice in the community; with our great city of Shelbyville as it’s back drop.

During the 3-day event, the community and visitors will experience a wide variety of information, entertainment and vendors from across the state. Shelby County Juneteenth Celebration will also provide participants with the region’s most respected and sought after artists, celebrities, and business persons, along with local, state government and community leaders. From music entertainment to business exposure, kid’s activities to the shopper’s one-stop destination, cultural art’s exhibits to health fairs. Educational presentations and more; we’ve got it all.

What is Juneteenth, June 19, 1865? On January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which changed the federal legal status of 3 million slaves to free. It wasn’t until 2 years later, on June 19, 1865 that news of this arrived in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth is an African American festival that celebrates the freedom of slaves across the entire United States.