2nd Annual Freedom Day Festival

The National Park Service (NPS) at Camp Nelson National Monument, in partnership with the Camp Nelson Foundation, Huntertown Community Interpretive Park, National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Jessamine County Public Library, Visit Jessamine, Huntertown Community Interpretve Park, and the Kentucky Historical Society invites you to the 2nd Annual Freedom Day Festival from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The special event commemorates Freedom 250 by marking the Independence Day celebration organized by African American soldiers and refugees at Camp Nelson on July 4, 1865, and the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor—the 170-mile route from Camp Nelson National Monument in Jessamine County to Mays Lick—and concludes at the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, Ohio.

The festival features live music featuring The Marshall Law Band, food, arts and crafts, children’s activities, guided talks and walks, and cultural demonstrations. It's free and open to the public!