LYNNWOOD — Snohomish County will observe Juneteenth with two free community celebrations—Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration in Lynnwood on the federal holiday and Juneteenth Community Celebration the following day. Both Lynnwood events are open to the public at no charge.
Project Girl Mentoring, in partnership with the city of Lynnwood, will host the Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration on Friday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cedar Valley Community School, 19200 56th Ave. W.
The event will open with a ceremony featuring speeches from local leaders and community members. Attendees can enjoy live performances of music, dance and spoken word poetry celebrating African American culture and history. A health fair will offer screenings, wellness information and fitness demonstrations. Families can take part in face painting, games and arts and crafts. Food trucks and vendor booths will be on site.
The following day, the NAACP Snohomish County will hold its Juneteenth Community Celebration on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Martha Lake County Park, 16300 E. Shore Drive.
Organizers describe the family-friendly gathering as a time to honor freedom, Black culture, joy and community pride. Activities will include line dancing for all skill levels, a sweet potato pie contest, local vendors, food, music, games and dancing.
Snohomish County offices will be closed Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth National Independence Day. This is the sixth year Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday and the fifth time Juneteenth has been recognized as a state holiday in Washington, following State Rep. Melanie Morgan sponsoring of House Bill 1016 which went into effect in 2022.
2026 marks 161 years since the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the deepest parts of the former confederacy. Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth for generations, but the first recorded celebration of Juneteenth in the Pacific Northwest was in Kent, Washington, in 1890.
Juneteenth dates to 1865 when, on June 19, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas with news of the end of the Civil War and that the slaves were free known as General Order Number 3. This news was two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, which didn’t impact Texas since there were very few Union soldiers to enforce the proclamation.
General Order Number 3, reads as follows:
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.
The surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 coupled with the arrival of Granger and his regiment finally provided the influence necessary to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, and the first known official movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday began in 1994. All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth either as a state holiday, a ceremonial holiday, or a day of observance.
Author: Mario Lotmore
