Juneteenth celebrations will be held in both Wake Forest and Zebulon on Saturday, June 18.
In 2021, President Joe Biden recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and government buildings will be shut down on June 20 in recognition of it. 
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans on June 19, 1865. Federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure the freedom of all — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African-American holiday, although it wasn’t recognized nationally until 2021.
Juneteenth is the most recent federal holiday — the last one came when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.  
In Wake Forest, the celebration is held by the Northeast Community Coalition. The event, titled Portraits of the Past: Breaking the Chains, begins at 11:15 a.m. with a freedom walk from The DuBois Center on N. Franklin Street to Ailey Young House on East Juniper Avenue. After the walk, activities and giveaways will be held at The DuBois Center. Approximately 30 different vendors are slated to be in attendance.
“We’re going to have speakers for the event, explaining what Juneteenth is all about and what we need to do at this time,” NECC board member Tilda Caudle said. “We also hope to go inside the historical Ailey Young House to gather history and updates with it. After that, we’ll come back and have young entrepreneurs, dancing, a basketball game with the youth, food and a DJ.”
The Juneteenth celebration in Zebulon is set for 10 a.m. on the front lawn of Town Hall. Mayor Glenn York is the keynote speaker, with Mayor Pro Tem Quentin Miles and Commissioner Jessica Harrison serving as emcees. There will be several other speakers, as well as performances by local singers and dancers.
Separate from the festivities at the Zebulon Town Hall is the ninth annual Juneteenth Heels, Hoof and Wheels Explosion at Todd’s Park. There are parities set for June 17-18, but are only accessible with ticket purchases. The information for the tickets, as well as the itinerary, can be found at https://www.simpletix.com/e/juneteenth-heels-hoof-and-wheels-explosion-tickets-103274#smtx-click. 
A Juneteenth parade is set for 1 p.m. in downtown Zebulon and a Family and Friend Day Fair, sponsored by Amazon BEN and Todd’s Productions, will follow. The event will have kid’s activities, live music, a talent show, DJ and food trucks.