LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — DISCOVERY Children's Museum will host their first Juneteenth celebration this Saturday.
Juneteenth is a holiday which marks the last African American slaves to be freed in Texas in the wake of the Civil War in June of 1865.
The news came two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1883.
The event will allow 250 kids to get in free thanks to the NV Energy Foundation.
RELATED: Juneteenth celebrations in Las Vegas | 2021
Once kids are inside, they will be making replica Juneteenth flags throughout the day along with celebration banners.
The day will also include games, art and dance performances by Molodi.
Kicking off #JuneTeenth2021 early with @MolodiLIVE!
— Alicia Pattillo (@aliciapattillo) June 17, 2021
We are LIVE inside @DiscoveryLV ahead of their Juneteenth Celebration event on Saturday! @KTNV #GMLV pic.twitter.com/NrCYL1753G
DISCOVERY Children's Museum made Juneteenth a paid holiday and says they are dedicated to improving diversity, inclusion and equity within the organization.
Latoya Holman, DEI Chairwoman at the DISCOVERY Children's Museum, says celebrating and recognizing Juneteenth is about progress.
"This is about change and liberation, it's about freedom. Our country finally sees us and is telling the full history, our history," Holman said.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, Congress has established a new holiday.
June 19 will now be recognized as a federal holiday.
