Indianapolis cancels Juneteenth Parade

Indianapolis will not have its annual Indy Juneteenth parade this year after organizers and the city were unable to agree on a location for the event. 

“Due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts with other major events in the city, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the parade for 2025,” Indy Juneteenth said in a statement announcing the decision. 

Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, marks the day the last of the enslaved Americans learned they had been emancipated. Former President Biden declared the date a federal holiday in 2021 after decades of advocacy from Black leaders. 

Cities across the nation often plan festivities around the day, sometimes referred to as Freedom Day. 

While the Indy Juneteenth parade has been canceled, the organization said celebrations will continue with a festival at the Indiana State Fair on June 21. The fair will also be where next year’s parade will be held. 

Indy Juneteenth organizers made the decision after months of failed negotiations with the city, the Indy Star reported.

James Webb, co-founder and executive director of Indy Juneteenth, told Indy Star that the group had filed a request for a special event permit and its parade route last August. But it wasn’t until October that the city responded to the group, saying it would process the application. 

Still, Webb said the group didn’t hear back from the city until Indy Juneteenth offered a new parade route proposal earlier this year. 

By then organizers were told the new parade route would not be available. Indy Juneteenth asked if its original parade route listed in its August special event permit request was available, but the city said it had booked a new event for the proposed dates.

In order to continue along the original route, Indy Juneteenth would have needed other organizations to approve of its route. Though Indy Juneteenth tried to make the parade route work with the other organizations, the group soon concluded it did not have enough time to properly plan the parade.

“After careful consideration, we determined that this adjustment will best accommodate all participants and allow us to continue delivering a meaningful and enjoyable experience for our community,” Indy Juneteenth said. 

“We completely understand that changes like this can be disappointing, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding and flexibility,” the group added. 

Though the parade will no longer happen, Indy Juneteenth said it does plan to host several events throughout the month of June, including its Miss Indy Juneteenth Pageant and its celebration at the state fair. 

“The great news is that this shift opens the door for an even bigger and better parade experience in 2026 and beyond!” the group said. 

Indianapolis city officials did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.