Flint’s celebration of Juneteenth includes fireworks, Black Wall Street Festival

FLINT, MI — The city of Flint will commemorate Juneteenth as a municipal holiday on Thursday, June 19, closing City Hall for the day in observance and offering a fireworks display.

The city and the Flint Downtown Development Authority will present the free fireworks show at Chevy Commons at dusk — approximately 10 p.m., according to an announcement from the city.

This weekend, the city’s observance of Juneteenth will continue with a Black Wall Street Festival from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, at the Mays Senior & Community Center.

Related: Juneteenth 2025 in Flint: How to join the city’s 53rd annual celebration

Saturday’s festival will feature local vendors, live entertainment, and food.

The city’s announcement of the event says it’s designed to serve as a platform to uplift Black-owned businesses and highlight the importance of economic investment in Flint’s neighborhoods.

More information is available by calling 810-766-7346.

The city’s announcement says essential services, including police, fire, and street operations, will remain active on Thursday.

Waste collection services will not be interrupted, following the regular schedule for pickups, according to the city’s announcement.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, informing enslaved Black residents of their freedom.

The holiday is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and became a federal holiday in 2021.

In 2020, Flint became one of the first municipalities in Michigan to formally acknowledge Juneteenth as an official city holiday.

“Juneteenth is more than a celebration—it’s a solemn reminder of how far we’ve come and a renewed call to honor the fight for equity, dignity, and justice,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in a statement from the city. “The city of Flint is proud to continue leading with purpose and truth as we mark this important day.”