Jun 18, 2025 - Things to Do

Nashville celebrates Juneteenth 2025

Adam Tamburin

Photo illustration of a pattern of Juneteenth flags. — Photo Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Billie Weiss/Getty Images

Nashville is celebrating the Juneteenth holiday with several events.

Why it matters: Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Texas learned of their emancipation.

The big picture: Despite recent backlash against civil rights and discussions of racism, celebrations of the holiday are growing, Axios' Russell Contreras reports.

🎆 Zoom in: One of the biggest celebrations in Nashville is the city's annual Juneteenth615 bash Thursday evening at Fort Negley. The sprawling event includes live music and fireworks.

The National Museum of African American Music will be on hand at the park with a pop-up outdoor museum complete with exhibits and artifacts.

🎟️ NMAAM will also offer free admission and special daytime events Thursday at its main space on Lower Broadway. Children of all ages can create Juneteenth-themed art projects and get hands-on experience with instruments.

🔍 The Tennessee State Museum will also host a Thursday event that includes family arts and crafts, live music and an exhibit on early photography in Tennessee that captured the Civil War era and the sweeping changes that followed.

More events are featured in the Tennessean

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Nashville celebrates Juneteenth 2025

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