Buffalo Was Filled With Love & Laughter At The 2025 Juneteenth Festival [PHOTOS]

2025 is turning out to be a banner year for many people and things in the Buffalo area.

Not only are we celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal and the 150th anniversary of the Buffalo Zoo, but we're also getting that much closer to the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo Juneteenth celebrations.

Juneteenth is a unique holiday and celebration that happens in communities all over the United States, as it highlights some of the best and worst things that have happened in American history.

What Is Juneteenth?

According to the Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo website, Juneteenth is the oldest known observance of the ending of slavery in the United States. According to historical records, the celebration began on June 19, 1865, the day Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army rode into Galveston, Texas, in the final execution of the Emancipation Proclamation.

READ MORE: What Is Juneteenth and Why You Should Celebrate It

The word Juneteenth itself is a portmanteau, or combination, of the words June and nineteenth, which is the day that it is typically celebrated.

Check Out Photos From Buffalo's Juneteenth Weekend Below

The weekend of June 14th and 15th was filled with celebrations as the Buffalo community marked the 160th anniversary of the end of slavery in America, marking the beginning of a long march toward equality for a large percentage of America's population. People sang, danced, and partied down Genesee Street during the Juneteenth Grand Parade, which led into the festival inside Buffalo's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Fillmore Avenue and Best Street.

You can check out some photos from the weekend below.