Juneteenth celebrations continue in Louisville Friday on AGAPE Day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville has several events lined up this weekend to observe Juneteenth, and the celebration is already underway.

The nine-day celebration started June 10 and continues through June 19, with a variety of events to showcase Black culture and entertainment. Friday beginning at 6 p.m., The Juneteenth Gala will recognize people who have worked to improve racial equity in Louisville at the Ali Center.

Early Friday morning, volunteers gathered outside Dare to Care to load boxes of food and drinks into vehicles for use at the various events.

Charles Piphus, the president of the National Panhellenic Council President, was among the volunteers organizing items, along with Local Divine 9 Black Greek fraternities and sororities and Dare to Care as part of AGAPE Day.

"The National Panhellenic Council is an umbrella organization for the historically Black fraternities and sororities, and so we come together to consider items of mutual interest to our organizations, and community service is one of those things.

"Events like today, where we come out and talk about agape love, where we're providing the highest form of charity to our community -- this is something that's very, very important to us. When we think about this and the history of Juneteenth and how we're talking about the history of Black Americans and issues of social justice, racial discrimination and all of the things that are prevalent in our community and have been for a long, long time. These are events where we come out and we want to inject hope. And we want to be able to provide something for our community to let them know we care."

A number of events are scheduled for the weekend, including Youth Sports Jamboree at Newburg Park on Saturday, and the 4th annual Juneteenth festival takes n the Belvedere.

Organizers say the idea to celebrate Juneteenth with a festival started during 2020 wave of civil unrest.

Here's a list of more events planned for Louisville:

Here’s a larger look at events planned by the Juneteenth Commission, according to a news release:

June 12-16: Arts Camp at the Waterfront: Louisville Visual Art and Waterfront Park are hosting a day camp for youth ages 7-12. Campers will be introduced to the works and history of Ed Hamilton, Muhammad Ali, the Underground Railroad and more, then create their own artworks to express themselves and their newfound knowledge; in the afternoons, campers will explore Waterfront Park for fun camp activities. This scholarship-based, cost-free camp is available to children from the Zones of Hope. For more information, visit louisvillevisualart.org/outreach-camps.
June 13, 6:35 p.m.: Juneteenth at Louisville Bats: The baseball game will highlight the history of the Negro League and youth at Louisville Slugger Field.
June 16: AGAPE Day: Local Divine 9 Black Greek fraternities and sororities will partner with Dare to Care to deliver food to communities. “AGAPE” refers to “the highest form of love, charity.”
June 16, 6 p.m.: Juneteenth Gala at the Ali Center: The Juneteenth Gala is sponsored by Norton Healthcare, Fifth Third Bank, Republic Bank and the Office of Equity. It will recognize and award historians and future and present leaders for the tremendous work they have done to improve racial equity within the community. The gala will also focus on Juneteenth culinary dishes and its history. Musical entertainment by Jerry Tolson Orchestra and Frankie Raymore and the Groovemasterz. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
June 17: Youth Sports Jamboree at Newburg Park: Reviving Urban Neighborhoods (R.U.N.), Inc. will host a fun-filled family event where youth can win prizes by demonstrating their knowledge of Juneteenth facts.
June 17, 7 p.m.: “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” at KCAAH: “The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” is a one-woman play about voting rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, through song and storytelling. Tickets are $25 (VIP tickets are $30) and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
June 18, 2 p.m.: Father’s Day & Juneteenth Jazz Brunch at KCAAH: The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage will host Ansyn Banks Legacy Quintet with guest vocalist Karen Chavis and host Marjorie Marshall. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com or kcaah.org. Limited VIP seating is $45.
June 19, 6 p.m.: “Let’s Talk | Bridging the Divide: Load in Nine Times: United States Colored Troops, An Evening with former Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker” at the Frazier History Museum: Danville native and poet Frank X Walker will debut a collection of poems centered on African Americans in Kentucky during the Civil War. Eighteen of those works will be unveiled as part of the museum’s Commonwealth exhibition. The event is free, but registration is required.