5 of the best Juneteenth celebrations in the USA

Juneteenth celebrates the full awareness of the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the USA. This historic decree, made by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that the 4 million enslaved Black Americans living in the Southern part of the country were free. News of the proclamation spread slowly over the subsequent two years, and Texas, the nation’s westernmost Confederate state at the time, was the last place to receive the announcement, on June 19, 1865. Thus the Juneteenth celebration was born.

In the subsequent decades, Black communities in the US have marked the occasion to various extents. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday, which has brought forth an array of historically nuanced, remarkably creative and innovative cultural events.

Get inspired at these five of the best Juneteenth celebrations in major US cities.

1. New York City

The city that never sleeps has Juneteenth events throughout the month. On June 19, Lincoln Center is presenting poet and playwright Carl Hancock Rux’s Oh Sankofa, which explores cultural identity, societal norms and historic events through the lens of African folklore.

Detour: Black Gotham walking tours will lead you through New York's untold history.

2. Chicago

This world-class city is home to a long line of history-shifting Black Americans, from Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and Ida B Wells to contemporary artist Rashid Johnson and former President Barack Obama. Juneteenth is the perfect moment to visit for the city's festivities in beautiful early-summer weather.

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Hyde Park is the USA’s first independent museum dedicated exclusively to African American culture and history. Explore its extensively researched exhibits before attending its Juneteenth event.

For those looking for an upscale evening out on the town, Black-owned brewery Moors Brewing is hosting the fifth Emancipation Ball.

Detour: In the historically Black neighborhood of Bronzeville, Gallery Guichard displays some of the finest works and exhibitions in the city pertaining to the African diaspora, including sculpture, paintings, decorative arts and furniture. For a treat, take the Bronzeville Art District Trolley tour, which will drop you off on the doorstep of the gallery.

3. Atlanta

Atlanta is a hub of Black American history. The city has been celebrating Juneteenth for decades and is well-versed in putting on an array of concerts, festivals, museum tours, athletic events and parties to suit every taste and budget.

The JuneTeenth Atlanta 5K and the 5K Freedom Run race to get the celebration started, and the 2-day Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival in Piedmont Park offers everything from aerial flyovers and dance troupes to a market with a lineup of Black-owned vendors. Keep an eye out for visitors and partner groups from throughout the South as well as from countries in the Caribbean, South America and Africa. Juneteenth is an international affair here.

Detour: Multiple sites around Atlanta honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr year-round.

4. Houston

The first Juneteenth celebration occurred in Texas, and the festivities in Houston have been fun – and deeply meaningful – for over a century.

Emancipation Park in the city’s 3rd Ward is one of the city’s best green spaces. It’s not only the oldest park in the Houston metro area but was also the only public park accessible to Black Americans for the long period of segregation. The park hosts a day of performances and, earlier in the month, the Freedom Run/Walk & Health Fair.

Planning tip: The regular Blck Market has stall upon stall of handmade merchandise from over 50 Black-owned businesses.

5. Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire celebrates the legacy of African American communities in New England year-round. For Juneteenth, the organization has put together a program of educational projects and arts events at sites in Portsmouth and around New Hampshire, including a bus tour, a drum performance and a statewide reading of a famous speech by abolitionist Frederick Douglas.