This Juneteenth marks 160 years since the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy were emancipated on June 19, 1865. Whether or not you have the day off, here are some ways to commemorate this historic anniversary locally on Thursday and through the weekend.
Brooklyn – Weeksville: 4th annual Juneteenth food festival
From noon to 8 p.m. on June 19, experience this yearly tradition of barbecue, red drinks and desserts from the likes of Doc’s Cake Shop and the Crème & Cocoa Creamery. They’re just a few of the 29 crème de la crème food brands showcasing Brooklyn’s diaspora. The iconic DJ Spinna will supply the soundtrack to family-friendly performances.
The festival will take place at Weeksville, the site of an Epicenter NYC tour last year. We learned how this once-forgotten Brooklyn neighborhood was built by free Black New Yorkers starting in the 1830s as a bastion of safety, land ownership and political power.
Weeksville Heritage Center is located at 158 Buffalo Ave. in Brooklyn. Learn more and sign up here.
Queens – Bowne House: Juneteenth-inspired tours
Juneteenth-themed tours at the Bowne House spotlight Black life in Flushing — from 17th-century stories to 19th-century abolitionist activism. If you know us, you know we love a Black history-focused walking tour any time of the year (check out this recent piece on Malcolm X’s spots in Queens).
When Epicenter NYC last partnered with Bowne House to offer our members a tour, we learned not just about the house, but how the family came to be involved in the abolition movement and the Underground Railroad.
Visit to honor the role Bowne House neighbors played in helping fugitive enslaved people escape to freedom. Bowne neighbors and others also banded together to provide free education to a mixed racial group, including children of former Flushing slaves.
Tours begin at noon, 1, 2 and 3:15 p.m on Saturday, June 21. No registration is required. Bowne House is located at 37-01 Bowne Street in Flushing. Learn more here.
Queens – Flushing Town Hall: “The truth as I see it”
Speaking of Flushing, head to Flushing Town Hall to check out “The Truth As I See It,” a group exhibition where artists fill historical gaps through storytelling. With Juneteenth as a central starting point, this show surfaces the liberation stories behind the holiday through bold artwork. The exhibition opens June 14. Flushing Town Hall is located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. in Queens. Learn more here.
And read more here about how this Smithsonian affiliate keeps jazz alive through monthly jams and artist spotlights.
Queens – Lewis Latimer House: Juneteenth family festival
And for another Flushing gem, the Lewis Latimer House is hosting an outdoor Juneteenth Family Festival on Saturday, June 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. Celebrate Black joy, resilience and pride with games, live performances and hands-on activities. Inspired by the legacy of inventor Lewis Latimer, the event is bound to bring some of history to life through festivities that explore light, flight, sound and more.
The Lewis Latimer House is located at 34-41 137th St. Learn more about the free event and register here.
Manhattan – New York Public Library: Juneteenth film series
While the city’s public libraries are closed on June 19, there are a slew of Juneteenth events before and after. For a low-key cinematic celebration, check out the Juneteenth Film Series at various locations.
On Wednesday, June 18 from 1 to 3 p.m., catch “I Like It Like That” (1994), a romantic comedy set in the Bronx. This was the first film by an African American female director to be produced by a major studio. Darnell Martin’s film shows at Macomb’s Bridge Library (located at 2633 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. in Harlem).
Also showing at Macomb’s Bridge Library, “The Great Debaters” (2007) plays next Thursday, June 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. Denzel Washington directed and stars in this uplifting film based on a true story: the rise of a debate team at Wiley College, a small historically black college in Texas, in the 1930s. Other heavy-hitter performers include Nate Parker, Jermaine Williams and Forest Whitaker.
Bronx – New York Public Library: Juneteenth film series
Also on Wednesday, June 18 from 1 to 3 p.m is “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s award-winning documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, highlights the healing power of music during times of turmoil. Among the icons featured in concert performances are Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson and B.B. King. Come watch at Jerome Park Library (located at 118 Eames Place in the Bronx) and be part of the post-film discussion while enjoying light snacks.
Bronx – Van Cortlandt House Museum: Juneteenth celebration
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Bronx Arts Ensemble are teaming up for a Juneteenth celebration on the lawn of the Van Cortlandt House Museum. The evening will feature food for sale from Voila Afrique, live performances including music and spoken word, and a drum-led procession to the Enslaved African Burial Ground for a libation ceremony honoring the memory of the enslaved. More details here.
