NASHVILLE, Tenn.(WTVF) — Thousands gathered at Nashville's Centennial Park on Thursday for Juneteenth615, a festival marking the significance of Juneteenth through music, history and community.
The annual event brought together vendors, speakers and attendees for a night of live music, handcrafted goods and reflection on the meaning of freedom and equality.
For vendors like Phoenix Knox-Washington, the event is more than a marketplace — it's a living archive. Loop by loop, stitch by stitch, Knox-Washington sells crochet pieces crafted from more than 20 years of practice and five generations of family tradition.
"I used to sit and watch my great grandma crochet," Knox-Washington said. "Unfortunately, she passed away from Alzheimer's before she could teach me, but my aunt taught me."
Each piece she makes carries a promise — to honor the women who came before her and to inspire those who will come after.
"It's extremely important," she said. "I'm unable to have kids, so my way of passing it on is to teach anyone I can, so they can pass it on to the next generation."
That desire to keep history alive is woven through the entire Juneteenth615 experience. The event's co-founder, known as Big Fella, said the work began years ago in collaboration with activist Kwame Leo Lillard and the African American Cultural Alliance.
"I think it's important to commemorate it because literally, we are not free until everybody's free," Big Fella said.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom, more than 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. For many at Centennial Park, it's not just a history lesson; it's a call to connection and unity.
The festival has grown far beyond its original home at Fort Negley, moving this year to Centennial Park as the fort undergoes major renovations under a city rehabilitation plan.
"This is a truly American holiday," Big Fella said. "At a time like this, when everybody is worried about their liberties and freedoms, and we're going so far backwards, it matters that we come together."
Attendees danced to live music, browsed handcrafted goods and listened to speakers who underscored the fight for freedom and equality.
"Look at all the different people around here," Big Fella said. "Black, white — this is Martin Luther King's dream happening right here, right now."
The night ended with a fireworks display lighting up the Nashville sky — a colorful close to a celebration dedicated to preserving traditions, embracing unity and carrying forward the meaning of Juneteenth.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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