Rio Rancho marks Juneteenth with a free community celebration Saturday, June 20 at Haynes Park, bringing together music, food and performance to honor the emancipation of enslaved Americans.
The City of Rio Rancho hosts the event June 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Blvd. SE. Entertainment includes a Caribbean band, gospel singer Dianne Bethany, the Omenka Dancers, an Unsung Heroes skit and a storyteller. Craft vendors and food trucks will be on-site, and the adjacent swimming pool will be open.
City Councilor Karissa Culbreath said hundreds typically attend the annual event, which draws people from across the community.
“It should be a really fantastic event,” Culbreath told The Paper. “People are always looking for an opportunity to gather in celebration. (Juneteenth) celebrates emancipation of enslaved Americans, the end of the war, the end of loss of life and the fulfilment of the expectations and ideals for the unity of our nation.”
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation — two and a half years after President Lincoln signed it. Congress designated Juneteenth a federal holiday in June 2021. Rio Rancho’s celebration began at Campus Park in City Center before moving to Haynes Park in 2024.
Juneteenth Celebration — Rio Rancho
- Haynes Park, 2006 Grande Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124
- Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Free and open to the public
- Directions