File photoFood is a big part of the annual Juneteenth Festival in Meridian. This year's event, set for Saturday, also offers music and fun, with a strong emphasis on freedom and African American culture.

The City of Meridian’s Juneteenth Festival has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 27, from 5 p.m. to midnight, the city announced on Friday.

The event will take place on City Hall lawn. The festival was scheduled to take place Saturday, June 19, but was rescheduled due to the inclement weather in the forecast.

“We should see a tropical system track through our area Saturday and into Sunday with a possibility of four to eight inches of rain with some possible flash flooding,” said Doug Stephens, the city’s Public Safety Director, in a press release. “Winds are expected to be 15-30 miles per hour. Depending on the track of the system, some tornadoes could be possible.”

Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas.

Congress passed a bill this week making Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Thursday.

City of Meridian employees will observe the federal holiday on Monday, June 28, according to the press release. City offices will be closed that day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.