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It’s Juneteenth weekend and there are numerous celebrations around the country that one can participate in now that it’s an official holiday, which we’ve compiled in a shortlist.
As a cherished part of Black history, Juneteenth has gained greater recognition nationwide within the last few years thanks to the efforts of advocates like Opal Lee. Also known as The momentum culminated in it being recognized as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021. As this weekend kicks in, we’ve assembled a list of events taking place nationwide that one can attend to honor Juneteenth the right way.
Fort Worth, Texas
Opal Lee began her crusade to get Juneteenth recognized in her hometown of Fort Worth, first beginning in 2016 with a walking campaign from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. at the age of 89. This year, several events held in honor of the day include the chance to recreate part of the activist’s walking campaign and a cookout. More information can be found on their website.
Atlanta, Georgia
The city of Atlanta is steeped in Black history, which lends itself well to its slate of Juneteenth celebrations. There is the annual Juneteenth Parade, held at the Centennial Olympic Park in addition to free concerts sponsored by the NAACP and a 10K event. There will also be a beauty pageant and a block party event downtown. More information can be found on the Discover Atlanta website.
New York City, New York
The nonprofit organization Juneteenth NYC has set up a full weekend of events under the theme “Kaleidoscope of Culture”. Per their website, their aim is to have “20,000+ attendees local to the NYC community to enjoy a vibrant day of rich culture through music, dance, poetry, skits, history, vendors, and family activities,” all set in Brooklyn with a virtual summit held on Friday (June 17). Tickets to the festivities can be found here.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The “City of Brotherly Love” is home to the Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival. It promotes itself as the largest celebration of Juneteenth nationwide with 25,000 people who have attended since its 2016 inception. This year will see festivities held at Malcolm X Park, featuring an art festival and vendors. There will also be a Hip-Hop concert with Lil Jon, Lil Mo, and Fatman Scoop performing.
Los Angeles, California
As home to many Black Americans who trace their roots to emancipation in southern states after Juneteenth, Los Angeles is putting on an extensive and varied celebration this weekend. In addition to the Juneteenth Festival taking place at Leimert Park on Juneteenth itself, there will be a star-studded concert at the Greek Theatre to be aired live on CNN. Miguel, Kirk Franklin, SWV, Davido, Coi Leray, and Jodeci will be performing at the event among other guests, with Vice President Kamala Harris making an appearance.
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital will play host to multiple events celebrating Juneteenth this weekend, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture hosting a Juneteenth Community Day with indoor and outdoor events including African drumming concerts to the Scotland Freedom Day concert being held on Sunday (June 18th) featuring Wyclef Jean, Tarrus Riley with Dean Fraser & Black Soil Band, Patrice Roberts, DJ Ablaze and other performers live at the Anthem concert venue. The National Archives will also be displaying the original Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No.3 which was read in Galveston, Texas ending slavery in that state on June 19th, 1865.