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Read by
Dana G.
Juneteenth is a holiday on June 19th that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It started in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Texas to tell enslaved people they were free, even though slavery had already been abolished two and a half years earlier. To celebrate Juneteenth, there are events like festivals, performances, and prayer services happening in Maryland. These events include music, dance, crafts, and food. People can learn about the history of Juneteenth and enjoy activities with their community. Some events are free, while others may have a small cost. It's a time to remember the past and celebrate freedom and unity.
The Juneteenth holiday will arrive on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 this year. Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform people that the Civil War had ended. Enslaved people were finally free. Delivery of the news –in 1865— occurred two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had already abolished slavery. To celebrate Juneteenth’s significance, educational and entertaining events will be held to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
This roundup may help you to explore community events around the region. Please confirm event details and times which may be subject to change.
Saturday, June 15, 2024
Bowie’s 3rd Annual Juneteenth Jubilee Festival
Attend a Juneteenth Jubilee Festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Allen Pond Park in Bowie, Maryland from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy a Kid Zone, College and D9 Greek Row, over 140 vendors, live music, artists and Bowie Be Healthy Way. Free event organized by the City of Bowie. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bowies-3rd-annual-juneteenth-jubilee-festival-tickets-917522643927.
Saturday, June 15, 2024
The Historic Hosanna School Museum will hold an annual Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Hosanna School Museum, located 2424 Castleton Road, Darlington, Maryland. It is the longest running Juneteenth celebration in the Lower Susquehanna and Upper Chesapeake Bay regions. Enjoy music (to include African drummers), dance, crafts, Buffalo Soldiers, a genealogy workshop, book signings, horse rides, a puppet show, lectures, vendors and other fun events. Food will be available. Cost: $18.65. For details and registration, visit HosannaSchoolMuseum.org.
Saturday, June 15, 2024
THE LAST TO KNOW: A JUNETEENTH STORY performance will be presented by The AngelWing Project, Inc. on Saturday, June 15th 2024, 1:00 p.m. and 4 p.m. See the narrative of Juneteenth at Chesapeake Arts Center, located 194 Hammonds Ln #194, Brooklyn Park, Maryland. Visit https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/the-angelwing-project-inc/662921c44fb3170e435ec154/ for information and tickets. Appropriate for all ages. Cost: $5.00. Email: awilson@theawproject.org.
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
A celebration of Juneteenth will be held on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m., Enoch Pratt Free Library, Poe Room, 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Discover the story of Juneteenth during a talk by Bradley Alston, Baltimore’s Black History maven. Questions and answers will follow at the end of the talk. Visit https://calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/in_celebration_of_juneteenth for details.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Juneteenth Celebration 2024 | Freedom’s Voices from Jubilee to Reparations will come to Reginald F. Lewis Museum through intergenerational and artistic voices expressing freedom, “jubilee” and reparations from 11 a.m. – 5:30 pm. Enjoy a Freedom Quilt Artist Talk on emancipation and create your own Juneteenth quilt block square with story quilter, Dr. Joan M. E. Gaither. The Carter Legacy Singers will perform. Theatergoers can hear today’s youth honor Black Woman Genius fiber artists with their monologues co-written by artistic producer wordsmith and more. Visit https://www.lewismuseum.org/event/juneteenth-celebration-2024/ to obtain more information and directions to register. Free event.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
The annual National Harbor Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Visit Freedom Day Black-Owned Marketplace in the Capital Canopy. Enjoy a variety of businesses, food vendors, a Drummers Circle on the Belvedere, various performances by Secret Society Band, Eleanor Roosevelt High School step team, the Prince George’s Poet Laureate and others. See https://www.nationalharbor.com/events/annual-events/celebrate-juneteenth/.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Join the Diocese of Maryland Truth and Reconciliation Commission for a Juneteenth Prayer and Celebration Service in Baltimore, Maryland. A 5:30 p.m. Cathedral of the Incarnation, Acknowledgement and Procession to Harriet Tubman Grove will be held. A Harriet Tubman Grove at Wyman Park Dell, Prayer and Celebration Service will be held at 6:00 p.m. Learn more via: https://episcopalmaryland.org/event/juneteenth-prayer-and-celebration-service-2024/
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Attend the Annapolis Juneteenth Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m., Bates Athletic Complex, Annapolis, 935 Spa Road, Annapolis, Maryland. The Annapolis Juneteenth Parade will kick off at noon at Annapolis City Dock. See https://www.theannapolisjuneteenth.org/festivalhappenings . Free.
Saturday, June 22, 2024
The 3rd Annual “Juneteenth Entrepreneurship-Q,” a Community Small-Business Expo, will be held from 1 – 8pm, 7600 Allendale Circle, Hyattsville, Maryland. The outdoor business expo will include small businesses and vendors of all types and ages. Free admission. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-juneteenth-entrepreneurship-q-a-community-small-business-expo-tickets-906170068067?aff=erellivmlt for further information.