Residents in the City of Fayetteville will have the opportunity to celebrate a historic revelation returning to the downtown area.
Everyone can join in on the celebration of Juneteenth on June 14, 2025 in Festival Park, thanks to Cool Spring Downtown District’s (CSDD) Juneteenth Jubilee: Sovereign.

Juneteenth observes and celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, when it was announced to the enslaved people of Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865 that they were free. 

Juneteenth will always mean more to the people than being just another federal holiday. 

“When we’re talking about the holiday itself, it is the end of slavery in this country, but there is a difference between a slave and an enslaved person,” said Ashanti Bennett, interim president and CEO of Cool Spring Downtown District. “These were people that had lives, particularly our ancestors that were brought over from parts of Africa to this country, they were not slaves that were captured, they were people. So that notion of sovereign is a reclamation of sorts, and a recognition of wholeness in the community.” 

CSDD has consistently provided Fayetteville with quality events for the public. Creating joy and educating the community is a balance that Bennett and the team at CSDD have struck flawlessly time and time again, and this year’s Jubilee will be no different.

“It's kind of my ethos with events, it has always been important to me to balance that entertainment and education together and I think the world of the arts is the perfect medium to combine those two,” shared Bennett. 

A stellar lineup heads the main stage of Festival Park for the entirety of the festival, spanning from 3 p.m. -9 p.m. the area will also feature vendors, artisans, food trucks, activities for the whole family and local educators and historians to spread the word and more little-known history about Juneteenth and Fayetteville. 

Fayetteville State University Archives Technician & African American Studies Researcher Nicholle Young St. Leone will be narrating the Coldwell Trolley tours throughout the day. The tours will span the local downtown and surrounding areas, covering assorted landmarks and other historical sites. Keeping with the theme of “Sovereign,” this year the Miss Juneteenth Fayetteville Scholarship Pageant has partnered with CSDD to hold a crowning ceremony that will take place during the Jubilee.

“We really want to make sure it’s a celebration of unity and freedom and the legacy of our ancestors of America so we wanted to make sure families can come out and have a great time but that they also understand why we’re celebrating and what we’re gathered there for and make sure that we offer that and honor that,” said Bennett. 

Entertainment will include opening headliner Rissi Palmer and marquee headliner Tank and the Bangas. Both preeminent and exciting acts will light up the stage for the Jubilee. 

Country soul artist Rissi Palmer made the 2007 Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts with her single, ‘Country Girl,’ and is now bringing that talent and heart to Festival Park’s stage. Tank and the Bangas, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest winners of 2017, will be delivering their distinctive blend of R&B, soul, hip-hop, rock, spoken word, rap and funk. 

Together, the artists showcase Black roots and influence across the genres, and light up the Jubilee with their talent and music. “[If] people are coming out and they’re not familiar with our headlining acts, I’m excited to make new fans,” said Bennett. “They’re going to be very, very impressed because that’s going to be a maelstrom of talent on that stage.” 

The Juneteenth Jubilee, along with the other larger scale CSDD events have had approximately 21 23,000 attendees, and this year is estimated to be similar. 

CSDD acknowledges and expresses gratitude for all the help from their volunteers and sponsors alike. 

“An event like this doesn’t happen without support so we’ve received support in the form of community sponsors which help bring this festival to light and we’re always grateful for those folks,” said Bennett. “We can’t do it without the support of the folks who will join us.” 

Anyone who is interested in volunteering for any of the Cool Spring events should reach out to info.coolspring.org to apply for a volunteer shift. Working with the local community is a big priority for Bennett and her team. 

“I think there is something to be said about facing something that feels daunting with grace, and I think that applies to our community, it applies to our Black community, it applies to all of us right now navigating through some uncertain times,” said Bennett. “And I think the idea of coming together should never be discounted and that joy is an incredibly powerful tool for change.”

Between the stellar performers onstage, the detail and consideration and that signature Cool Spring magic touch, this Juneteenth Jubilee is going to be another standout well worth attending. 

“Anybody, no matter their walk of life, no matter what brought them to the event, no matter what’s going on in their life, they’re all unified in that moment of celebration,” concluded Bennett. “And that to me is the ultimate peak of success, to be able to witness that.” 

For more information on this year’s event, find Cool Spring Downtown District online at www.visitdowntownfayetteville.com.