Juneteenth was commemorated across the country on Thursday, including in Boston at Roxbury Heritage State Park.

The holiday included a flag-raising at the Dillaway-Thomas House and a parade.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 that Union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas. They announced to the state that the Civil War was over and that all enslaved persons had been declared free.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation had become official over two years prior, the institution of slavery remained untouched in areas beyond Union control. In taking control over the state, the Union effectively liberated the remaining slaves in Texas.

There will also be a Juneteenth Community Celebration at Franklin Park (Shattuck picnic area) on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Juneteenth celebration at the Dillaway-Thomas House on Thursday. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune marches in the Juneteenth celebration. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)