May 24, 2026
The upcoming Juneteenth Freedom Day celebrations in Brevard announced for Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21 at the Mary C. Jenkins Community and Cultural Center and Silversteen Memorial Playground will include two days of special trolley tours of historical importance in Transylvania County.
Rosenwald Community organizer Karen Darity shared that the celebration will include a series of trolley tours of 14 historic sites around Brevard, community meals, special speakers, live music and family fun to honor the day in 1865 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with officials who issued an order freeing more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in that state.
“Each year, we try to make it a little more exciting for the community and really anyone who wants to attend,” Darity said. “We try to make it better each year and I hope everyone will find something to make this day special to them.”
New this year will be the historic African American trolley tours that will take guests on a guided hour-long motorized trip with stops highlighting local Black churches and other places in Transylvania County with a rich history of resilience, strength and survival in the post-Emancipation era.
The trolley tour will depart the lower lot of the community center on Friday, June 19th at 2 p.m. and Saturday, June 20 at 1 p.m. Tours are recommended for guests 12 years of age and older, and advance registration is requested due to the prospect of limited seating on each trolley.
Live music and other celebrations resume at noon on Saturday at the Silversteen Memorial Playground and will continue through 6 p.m. along with food trucks and activities for all ages including a duck derby fundraising contest and performances by Ivory Coast native Adama Dembele’s African drum circle at 2 p.m.
Asheville’s John R. Hayes High Steppin’ Majorettes and Drum Corps will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Bingo will be called at 4 p.m. Saturday, and the last trolley tour Saturday will begin at 4 p.m.
Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown will be the guest speaker for the Friday, June 19 seafood dinner at the community center.
Sunday’s events include an 11 a.m. joint worship service at the community center followed by a shared community meal.
Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 and it became an official city of Brevard holiday starting in 2024.
For more information or to register for the historic trolley tour, call Karen Dairty at 828-216-6999.