Juneteenth, a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” is celebrated each year on June 19 and commemorates the day in 1865 when the last of those enslaved in Texas received news of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed two years earlier. Now recognized as a federal holiday, New Jersey was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.
Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, the amendment wasn’t fully ratified until December 1865, after the Civil War. That’s when the Union Army rode south to inform those who were enslaved they were free. Here’s how you can explain the holiday to your kids.
We’ve rounded up some events where you can commemorate Juneteenth in New Jersey.
Mondays in June
Juneteenth Monday Movies
New Brunswick Free Public Library, New Brunswick
The New Brunswick African American Heritage Committee will host a series of movies centered around Black and African American culture.
June 8
Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration
Edison Job Corps, Edison
NAACP Metuchen-Edison-Piscataway Area Branch puts on a festival along with Edison Twp. that highlights Dr. Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of the Juneteenth Movement, during her first visit to New Jersey. There will be music by DJ Sequence, a children’s zone, live performances, vendors, voter registration, giveaways, a high school basketball 4-v-4 tournament, health and wellness area and food trucks.
Juneteenth, A Recognition and Celebration
Franklin Elementary School, Succasunna
Open to the public under the outdoor pavilion, you can experience live African drumming, step dancing, singing, vendor shopping, crafts and games.
Freedom Month Comedy Extravaganza
Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick
All of June’s holidays will be marked in hilarious fashion during this standup comedy show: Father’s Day, Puerto Rican Independence, Juneteenth and Pride Month.
June 9
Juneteenth Celebration
Downtown Freehold
Main Street, from Court Street to Throckmorton, will be filled with vendors, entertainers, food booths and musical acts to celebrate Juneteenth.
June 13
Juneteenth
Morris County Library, Whippany
Dr. Daisy Century will discuss the first Juneteenth celebration in this historical interactive theater program. Presented by the American Historical Theater, this show is good for kids in grades 5 and up.
Art in the Atrium
Morris County Administration and Records Building, Morristown
Women’s Outstanding Works will hold its 32nd annual exhibit from May 17 to September 20. The reception and Juneteenth celebration will be June 13 featuring Master Artist Nette Forne Thomas and 70 outstanding female artists.
June 15
Juneteenth Celebration
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum-Mt. Zion AME Church and True Farmstead, Skillman
With this year’s theme of “Freedom Forward,” the family-friendly event will be filled with live Gospel music, original plays, interactive games and food (including vegan options). Explore the Heritage Garden and take guided tours of the historic grounds.
Juneteenth Festival
Rabkin Park, Union Twp.
The community celebration includes music, food, art, activities, Ms. T’s Face Painting, a 360 photobooth, OMG Bubbles, Paint Noir Art Lounge and vendors.
Juneteenth Festival
Glassboro Sports Complex, Glassboro
Join The Queen’s Initiative for Community Unity Day, including live entertainment, cultural dances, family activities, keynote guests, food, games and prizes. Plus, support Black-owned businesses at the marketplace.
Playokee’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival
East Grant Avenue, Roselle Park
Get ready for a day filled with music, live performances, food, and fun as you celebrate the end of slavery.
Juneteenth Celebration
Town Plaza, Metuchen
Expect lots of cultural exhibits and performances outdoors in the plaza.
People of Pleasant Valley Tours
Howell Living History Farm, Hopewell
On Juneteenth, join historical interpreters on a free wagon ride and tour of the circa-1790 farmhouse where Revolutionary War-era New Jerseyans lived and farmed the land that now makes up Mercer County’s Pleasant Valley National Rural Historic District. You’ll board a wagon to travel down the driveway, across Moore’s Creek, and through the woods before disembarking at the Captain Henry Phillips House. There you will meet historical interpreters who will be wearing period attire for a unique discussion of the history of the house and the people who lived in it before and after the 1804 passage of New Jersey’s Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.
Juneteenth Freedom Day
Perkins Center for the Arts, Moorestown
This special family day features inspirational music, African dance and drumming, food, educational presentations, and offerings from some local Black-owned businesses.
Juneteenth Celebration
Overpeck County Park, Leonia
Attend a ceremony hosted by the Bergen County NAACP, in partnership with the County of Bergen.
June 15-16
Burlington Freedom Day
Burlington Riverfront Promenade, Burlington
The kickoff event on Saturday will be filled with music, food, vendors and a Kid’s Zone that includes free lunch as well as free crafts, games and activities for all of the children. “Praise on the Promenade: A Gospel Music Celebration” will be held on Sunday with performances, special guests, food and music.
June 15, 19 and 21
Self-Guided Tours
Gethsemane Cemetery, Little Ferry
The Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs (DCHA) under the county’s Department of Parks will open the site to the public. The cemetery, which dates back to 1860, is a historic one-acre burial ground that served as the eternal resting place for African Americans who lived in Hackensack from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Among those buried former slaves, wealthy landowners, and two Civil War veterans.
June 16
Juneteenth NJ Festival Holmdel
PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel
This event will showcase the rich history and culture of Juneteenth through music, food, celebration and fun.
Juneteenth Parade and Heritage Festival
Recreation Park, New Brunswick
The Vulcan Pioneers of New Brunswick will lead a parade in the morning and a festival in the afternoon to celebrate Black history.
KAY HICKMAN / Michael James Scott, the Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin” on Broadway, performs at Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth
June 19
Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth
Duffy Square in Times Square, New York, NY
The concert features Black Broadway performers from 18 shows who will take the stage and perform varying Broadway musical numbers. This year’s host is Michael James Scott, currently starring as the Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin.” The recipient of this year’s Juneteenth Legacy Award will be Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad.
New Brunswick Community Juneteenth Commemoration
New Brunswick
The celebration begins with a flag-raising ceremony at the Middlesex County Administration Building earlier in the afternoon, then moves to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center for fellowship, speeches, live music, entertainment and traditional dance performances.
All About Us
Liberty State Park, Green Ring, Jersey City
Listen to music by Afrobeats, R&B, amapiano and hip hop artists to celebrate Black excellence.
Juneteenth Community Celebration
Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton
West Windsor Arts will host a program where you create your own Achi board for a game for all ages originating from Ghana.
When the Cavalry Came to Call
Hamilton Twp. Library, Hamilton Twp.
Michelle Washington Wilson will present stories and poems dedicated to the celebration of African American emancipation. She will remember those who labored for so long.
Juneteenth Celebration Honoring Black Choral Music
Morven Museum & Garden, Princeton
As part of the Princeton Festival, the Juneteenth celebration features a choir drawn from the community, anchored by the Capital Singers of Trenton. The program features Robert Ray’s iconic Gospel Mass with additional choral selections highlighting the joy and spirit of Black music. There will be other events throughout the day, including a flag raising, Let Freedom Ring booth and community celebration.
Songs of Freedom: Poetry Celebrating Juneteenth
Noyes Arts Garage, Atlantic City
Murphy Writing of Stockton University is hosting a special edition of World Above, the monthly open mic and featured reading series. Local poets, including Belinda Manning, Raymond Tyler, Elle Vintage, and Lennox Warner, will share poems that explore themes of cultural identity and inherited histories. After, join the open mic with your own works.
Juneteenth + Fun Day
Bucky James Center, Long Branch
The City and the Library put on an event complete with DJ music, food, business vendors and bouncy houses.
The Black Market Pop-Up Shop
667 Summer St., Elizabeth
Support local Black-owned businesses, artists and vendors as they showcase their unique products and talents. There will be live music, and food for sale.
Juneteenth Celebration
Bergen County Plaza Administration Building Piazza, Hackensack
Bergen County’s African American Advisory Committee will lead a ceremony to mark Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Jamboree
Kean University, Union
Kean University’s new Center for Africana Studies will host its first Juneteenth Jamboree, including a Freedom Walk at Harwood Arena, followed by remarks from university and faith leaders. After, there will be food trucks and vendors, community activities, a DJ and more.
June 22
Mercer County Area Juneteenth Black-Owned Business Marketplace
The Conference Center at RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, Hamilton
Support Black-owned businesses in the Mercer County area through a free event that includes shopping, food, a live DJ, prizes and giveaways.
Bayonne Freedom Day Celebration: Juneteenth Festival
G. Thomas DiDomenico 16th Park, Bayonne
Celebrate freedom and unity with live performances, food vendors and activities for all ages.
Betty & Blue
AMC Dine-In Essex Green 9, West Orange
Pineloft Entertainment presents an exclusive screening of the short film, “Betty & Blue,” as part of the West Orange Juneteenth Film Festival.
Juneteenth Golf Outing with Fish Fry Lunch
Shady Rest Golf and Country Clubhouse, Scotch Plains
The ND Club celebrates Juneteenth at the Historic African American Landmark, including a tasty fish fry afterwards.
Celebrate Juneteenth
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Listen to a special Juneteenth storytime, form a drum circle and make the Juneteenth flag using a watercolor resist technique.
June 23
Juneteenth Jubilee
Montclair Chill, Montclair
Mix and mingle, make some new friends, shop the local vendors, and learn something new.
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