ST. LOUIS — This Sunday, June 19, marks the recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., and there are several ways you can celebrate and honor the national holiday in the St. Louis area.
Here are some of the events taking place this weekend.
Delmar Main Street Juneteenth Festival
You can commemorate Juneteenth at the Delmar Main Street Juneteenth Festival Saturday. There will be music, food, vendors, performances and more.
The all-day event features a Makers District with products from youth and adult vendors, as well as music and food trucks. Then, there's a Health and Wellness Gathering featuring options like yoga, tykowondo and more. Then end the evening with the Happy Hour Block Party!
For more information about the event, check out the flyer below.
The City of East St. Louis is celebrating Juneteenth and 618 Day this weekend. The fun goes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and features a 5K run/Walk, a parade and a community block party.
See the full event schedule and more details in the post below. You'll also find it by clicking here.
Gateway Region YMCA Juneteenth Events
The Mid-County YMCA and the Emerson Family YMCA are teaming up to host events this weekend to celebrate and honor Juneteenth.
Friday, June 17: Juneteenth Trivia Night
The trivia night runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) at the Mid-County YMCA on Urban Drive in Brentwood. It's $5 per person or $40 for a table of eight. There will be music, prizes and activities. You'll need to bring your own food and drinks (non-alcoholic). For more information contact Nia Jeffrey at nia.jeffrey@gwrymca.org
Saturday, June 18: Juneteenth Community Celebration
The event, hosted with the NAACP of St. Louis County, will be at the Emerson YMCA on Pershall Road in Ferguson. There will be music, vendors, food, activities and more. The event is open to all and free to get in.
Juneteenth Celebration - Dellwood
The Dellwood Annual Juneteenth Parade, Celebration and Father's Day Freedom Concert is Sunday, June 19. Events get underway around noon. Here's the full lineup:
- Community Resource Fair, COVID vaccination & Vendor pop-up: Noon - 5 p.m.
- Open Skate: Noon - 3 p.m.
- Parade Kick-Off: 1 p.m.
- Father's Day Freedom Concert: 3 p.m.
The parade will go down West Florissant from the Boys and Girls Club past the Dellwood Recreations Center and end at Hudson Drive and West Florissant Avenue.
Organizers say the family-oriented celebration "is anticipated to become the largest African American Parade and Celebration in St. Louis County."
Admission to Missouri Botanical Garden, as well as the Butterfly House and Shaw Nature Reserve, will be free Sunday, June 19. Admission to the Children's Garden will also be free.
Some activities between the different sites include:
- An interpretive visitor guide at The Garden "highlighting significant contributions of African Americans to advance botanical science throughout history".
- Children's Garden visitors will get an Okra plug for a "pot-a-plant" activity and learn about Okra's ties to the African American experience.
- A film highlighting historic Black entomologists will play at The Butterfly House throughout the day.
For more information about the Botanical Garden, click here.
The Missouri History Museum has been highlighting Juneteenth this week with several events.
On Saturday, it's the 2022 Juneteenth Community Bike Ride in collaboration with Trailnet and 4 The Ville. The 11-mile leisurely ride is broken up by six stops where you'll hear lives performances by area musicians and learn from historians and storytellers about the city's history.
The ride begins at 10 a.m. with check-in at 9 a.m. You'll start at the Tandy Recreation Center on Kennerly Avenue. There will also be a post-ride block party with live music and food trucks.
For more information about the ride, and how to register, click here.
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Juneteenth Concert
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is hosting a free community concert to honor Juneteenth. This is the symphony's second annual commemoration of the holiday, according to a press release.
You'll hear SLSO musicians and members of the IN UNISON Chorus perform works by Black artists such as Margaret Bonds and Florence Prince.
The concert is in partnership with Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church. You don't need tickets or an RSVP to attend.
Here are the details:
- When: 2 p.m., Sunday, June 19.
- Where: Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, 1617 North Euclid Ave.
For more information about St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, click here.
National Blues Museum - Blues on the Block
The National Blues Museum is celebrating Juneteenth with live music, poetry, dance and more. It's part of their free outdoor concert experience, Blues on the Block.
Performing during the Saturday evening event are Ms. Hy-C and Fresh Start, along with T-spirit, Gentlemen of Vision Rites of Passage Enterprises, Inc, and Lillian Gardner. The event runs from 5 - 8:30 p.m. at North 6th Street and Washington Avenue, across from the National Blues Museum.
For more details, click here.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth commemorates when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states.
When is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is recognized on June 19. This year it's on a Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.