The Las Vegas valley is gearing up for a weekend of Juneteenth commemorations and celebrations. Juneteenth, an annual holiday on June 19, celebrates the freedom of enslaved people following the Civil War.

Juneteenth commemorates one of the country’s oldest and most painful journeys: the ongoing fight for true, tangible and equitable freedom.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day or the Second Independence Day, celebrates Black freedom in the United States.

GALVESTON, Texas — Former President Joe Biden might be a special guest at a Juneteenth celebration on Galveston Island. It wasn't clear which celebration Biden would attend or if he would speak at the event.

Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration (Thursday, June 19, starting at 11 a.m.) 165 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md. Freedom in Full Color: A Juneteenth Paint & Sip Celebration (Thursday, June 19 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.) 162 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md.

The festivities begin Thursday with live entertainment and games at the African American Museum and end Sunday with a concert in Malcolm X Park in West Philly.

The year’s Juneteenth in Mt. Pleasant will highlight the power of collaboration to help build community through joy.

Opal Lee, "The Grandmother of Juneteenth," will not participate in this year's Walk for Freedom after her recent hospitalization.