The Juneteenth holiday was celebrated with a parade marching from downtown Kankakee to Pioneer Park followed by food and fireworks on Saturday.

Though fun and games were a central part of the festivities, the celebration was about more than just entertainment.

For organizers of the annual Juneteenth events, education about Black history is also a central part of observing Juneteenth.

Lenora Noble, 7th Ward alderwoman, has been part of the Juneteenth Celebration Community Council for 18 years.

“Each year it’s changing and developing and growing, and it’s all about education,” she said. “Educating everybody as to the African-American culture and people, our history.”

The non-profit community council organized a full week of events, which culminated Saturday in the Freedom Festival at Pioneer Park, where there were games, music, food and community resource tables.

“As you can see, it’s just a welcoming mat for everybody,” Noble said.

Events earlier in the week included a Flag Day celebration, a “lunch and learn” about Black history and health issues in the Black community, a midweek prayer, and an awards dinner.

Another highlight was an oratory contest where area kindergarten through high school students researched figures in Black history and practiced their public speaking skills.

Noble said she even learned a thing or two from the students’ presentations. They discussed influential figures they were interested in, from W.E.B. DuBois to Maya Angelou and Simone Biles.

“I’m going to hang onto this, because it’s working,” Noble said about being one of the event organizers for almost 20 years.

“When I can see that kids are able to tell me a little bit more than they knew, when I can hear them tell me about more than Martin Luther King, it’s working.”

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 12

Juneteenth Parade 2026 Kankakee-based band Melodic Industries perform live music as they travel along East Court Street during the Juneteenth Celebration parade on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Kankakee. (Tiffany Blanchette)

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas finally received word of their freedom more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

The day, also known as Freedom Day, was officially made a federal holiday in 2021.

“I think it’s always important to have a look back on history,” said Kierra Williams, of Kankakee. “That way, you won’t forget the things we’ve overcome.”

Williams along with Martha Dunlap-Calhoun, also of Kankakee, said they attend the Juneteenth celebration every year.

“Even beyond it being a federal holiday, we still celebrate it,” Dunlap-Calhoun said. “It’s important to know the history of it. It’s not just a barbecue. It’s not just a chance for us all to get together; that’s not it. There’s some history behind it.”

Dunlap-Calhoun said that slavery is a part of American history which cannot be erased or forgotten.

“Our independence wasn’t established on July the 4th,” she said. “Our independence was established on 1865, July 19.”