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12 ways to commemorate Juneteenth in New York City
By
Precious Fondren
Published Jun 15, 2023
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Courtesy Broadway League
By
Precious Fondren
Published Jun 15, 2023
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Juneteenth, the federal holiday coming up on Monday, June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when federal troops informed enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and they were free – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted. Institutions and communities throughout the city are using the holiday and the preceding weekend to honor Black history and culture.
Here are a few of the many events New Yorkers can visit in the days ahead.
Juneteenth NY Festival
The 14th Annual Juneteenth NY Festival runs for three consecutive days, from Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18. The theme of this year's event is "Kaleidoscope of Black Culture," and it opens on Friday with an online summit and a ticketed evening celebration of distinguished men in the community. A free Festival Community Day follows on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Linden Park, followed by a grand finale Field Day event in Prospect Park on Sunday that includes a fashion show and parade. For more details, go here.
The Schomburg Center's Fifth Annual Literary Festival
In anticipation of Juneteenth, on Saturday the Schomburg Center celebrates Black authors spanning the African diaspora – and readers, as well. The center’s fifth annual Literary Festival includes author readings, panel discussions and workshops covering prose, poetry, comic books, young adult novels, nonfiction and zines. The festivities run from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on four stages inside the Center, and outdoors on 135th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Malcolm X boulevards. The festival is open to all ages, and admission is free; check out the full schedule here.
Juneteenth Food Festival
Food is a centerpiece of almost any celebration, and Juneteenth is no exception. Round up your friends and loved ones and head to the Weeksville Heritage Center for the second annual Juneteenth Food Festival. The festival, which is organized by the center and Black-Owned Brooklyn, will feature over 25 Black-owned food brands, representing the American South and other parts of the African diaspora. Along with a plethora of dining options, attendees can also visit a marketplace highlighting even more Black-owned brands, and show off their best dance moves during an all-day house music set from the DJ collective Soul Summit. The event runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.; for more information, visit here.
Juneteenth UNITYFEST
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! and the Robert Randolph Foundation join forces on Saturday evening to celebrate Juneteenth and its impact on Black and American culture. On the bill at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park are two R&B heavyweights: JOE and Stokley. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free; for more information, look here.
Juneteenth at Seneca Village
Before there was a Central Park, there was Seneca Village, a Black community that flourished from 1825 to 1857 and was pushed out of the area to form the park we know now. On Saturday, the Seneca Village Landscape, on the park's west side between 82nd and 89th streets, will host an event meant to “explore the widespread and long-standing connections Black New Yorkers have with wellness and nature.” Included are art-making, music, dance, comedy and self-care activities for the whole family. For more information, visit here.
Rooftop Films Juneteenth Celebration
Rooftop Films will present the new documentary “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes” on Saturday, June 17, kicking off a centennial commemoration for the iconic bebop drummer at Herbert Von King Park in Bed-Stuy, the neighborhood where he once lived. The screening will be preceded with a live performance by the Luther S. Allison Trio, and followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and Roach’s family. For more information, click here.
“Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth”
The Broadway League’s Black to Broadway initiative hosts its third “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth” concert this Sunday, June 18. Hosted by actor and singer Michael James Scott, the outdoor event in Times Square will feature more than 25 Black creatives performing musical numbers from a dozen Broadway shows, including “Chicago,” “MJ The Musical,” “Parade” and “Shucked,” along with a sneak peek of the upcoming revival of “The Wiz.” The show runs from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m., and will go on rain or shine. Look here for more details.
Brooklyn Museum Juneteenth Jubilee
The Brooklyn Museum is honoring Juneteenth with a host of events celebrating “self-expression, community, and Black liberation and creativity” on Sunday, June 18, from 2 to 6 p.m. The museum's "Juneteenth Jubilee" includes art-making activities, community portraits, performances, food and drink vendors and an opportunity to see the exhibit "A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration" before it closes on June 25. Registration is free; for details, go here.
“A Juneteenth Celebration” at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center will commemorate Juneteenth with two events this Sunday. "To a Garden Luxuriously Verdant (Enameled with Countless Flowerings)" takes over the entire Lincoln Center campus starting at 7 p.m. for a genre-bending mixture of poetry, music, dance and visuals assembled by multidisciplinary artist Carl Hancock Rux, with costumes and scenic design by Dianne Smith. Performers include vocalist Alicia Hall Moran, pianist Aaron Diehl, dance company Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE and improvising Black rock band Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber. Afterward, visitors are invited to stick around for “Let Freedom Dance,” a silent disco event hosted by the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, featuring gospel music transformed by DJ Rimarkable. For more information, visit here.
"JGCO Commemorating Juneteenth"
Brooklyn choreographer Jamel Gaines and his dance-theater company will perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Sunday at 2 p.m. to mark the Juneteenth holiday. Gaines' company mission centers social justice, and this multimedia presentation is meant to highlight significant moments in Black American history. Ticket information is available here.
Juneteenth Celebration at Battery Park City
The seventh annual Juneteenth Celebration, on Monday from 2 to 4 p.m., offers an afternoon of family-friendly fun with art, music and history. The Federation of Black Cowboys will demonstrate horsemanship and guide a few lucky patrons on pony rides. The afternoon will also include the chance to paint your own Juneteenth flag and make a bandana with bright West African print fabric, with the help of Brooklyn watercolorist Glori B. Look here for more details.
"Park Jams: A Juneteenth Celebration of Hip-Hop"
This premier celebration on Monday, which will celebrate both Juneteenth and the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, is among this year's ticketed City Parks Summerstage events. The show, which is happening at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield on Monday, June 19, from 4 to 10 p.m., will feature DJ Premier, Grandmaster Flash, Kid Capri and more. Go here for ticket information.
Update: After publication, details on two events have changed. An event related to the documentary "Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes" was postponed and has not been rescheduled, and we have removed outdated details on that event. In addition, the Juneteenth Celebration at Battery Park City was rescheduled for Monday, June 19, because of concerns about weather on its original date.
Precious Fondren
Precious is a former WNYC & Gothamist culture reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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