LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of people supported Black-owned businesses at the fourth annual Louisville Juneteenth Festival in downtown on Sunday.

Dozens of local vendors were set up at the Belvedere at the free event that featured musical performances, discussions, networking and food. 

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to order freedom for the enslaved people of the state — two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War. The federal holiday is annually observed on June 19.

IMAGES | 4th annual Louisville Juneteenth Festival held at Belvedere

Aaron Jordan, founder and CEO of Black Complex Louisville, is the festival's producer. He said the festival is intended to amplify the holiday and provide a safe space for people to celebrate.

"Representation matters. I was born here in Louisville, Kentucky and I didn't grow up with anything like this," Jordan said. "We contribute to economic empowerment, being able to remove access barriers and provide a space like this that is going to have 10,000 attendees today. It's not every day in Louisville's backyard that you are going to have people that are ready to come and intentionally support Black businesses."

Marquel Lett founded SeQuel Scents, which offers high-quality skin care from ethically sourced ingredients, in January 2020. It was the first time she has had a vendor booth set up at the Louisville Juneteenth Festival. Lett thought it was important for her local business to have a booth set up at the event.

"To celebrate freedom, not just freedom from slavery, but being able to create your own idea and having the freedom to be able to do so," Lett said. "It's really important for us to continue to push and continue to grow and show up where we are to represent not only entrepreneurs but Black entrepreneurs."

Santana Mack started a clothing brand, Road to Riches, last September. The 19-year-old entrepreneur showed off his clothing line to attendees on Sunday.

"Out of high school I wanted to start a business, working for yourself is the best way to do it instead of working for somebody else," Mack said.

The festival on Sunday capped a week full of events including an HBCU night brunch, a culture and business event at Black Jockey's Lounge, along with a collaboration studio event for producers, songwriters and artists.

Aaron Jordan is the event producer for Louisville Juneteenth Festival

"It took a lot of work, first of all, we stood on the shoulders of our ancestors so the ground work has been laid," Jordan said. "The hard work that it took to be here is a culmination of sponsors, partnerships, volunteers, community organizations and of course my Juneteenth committee and the advisory committee. We are super proud to put all this together. We understand it takes a group of people to put all this together."

Jordan encouraged people to support Black-owned businesses at the festival and throughout the year.

"When we talk about innovation and culture, we've never had a celebration like this of its kind," Jordan said. "We don't have to be monolithic, we can be professional, we can have leisure spaces, we can have safe spaces, and they can all be inclusive."

On Sunday, vendors were able to share their products and creations with attendees.

"It is really important for our community to collaborate collectively, one because it shows unity and two because it supports our local Louisville," Lett said. "Louisville is very prideful."

For more information about Juneteenth celebration in Louisville, click here.

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