Next week marks a national holiday: Juneteenth, celebrated on the 19th of the month. Designated a federal holiday in 2021, it was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was added in 1983. Chesapeake Bay communities, many of whom have poignant pasts with freedom seekers, have increasingly added special celebrations to mark the emancipation of enslaved people.
Juneteenth’s origin dates back to June 19, 1865, two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. On that day, General Gordon Granger, accompanied by 2,000 troops (many of whom were African American) entered Galveston to deliver General Order No. 3, the declaration that all enslaved persons were forever free. Celebrations of freedom took hold in Texas and spread through the South. In 1980, Texas was the first state to legalize the holiday honoring that historic day.
Along Chesapeake shorelines, Juneteenth is celebrated with expressions of culture, history, music, art and food. On June 19th in Caroline County, a celebration of freedom takes place in Preston’s Mt. Pleasant Acres Farm—land where self-emancipation was sought and realized, particularly through its direct connection to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Mt. Pleasant was once a part of the Thompson farm, where Tubman’s family lived. It also served as a way station for freedom seekers to stop and pray under its Witness Tree on their way north.
Today the farm is owned by Paulette Green and Donna Dear, also known as “The Aunties.” According to Green, “At Mount Pleasant Acres Farm, Black history is every day. Blackness has always been rooted in us, it’s always been there, and we’re highlighting it through honoring the history of Harriet Tubman, forestry management, and organic food production.”
The day’s Juneteenth celebration will begin with a libation and blessings by Renna McKinney of Dorchester County’s historic Malone Methodist Episcopal Church. Located in the tiny community of Madison, the church sits on land deeded to it by a formerly enslaved man. Its connection to Tubman is made through the family of John Tubman, her first husband, and her nephew and in-laws who are buried in its cemetery. The Malone Church is recognized as a United States Park Service National Underground Railroad Network Site to Freedom. It was recently awarded $250,000 by the State Commission on African American History for renovation.
Dr. Clara Small, Professor Emerita of History of Salisbury University, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Visitors can enjoy live performances, presentations, and food. Farm tours and visits to the Witness Tree will be made available to visitors. The day of commemoration will end with Freedom Vibrations, a ceremony conducted with sound bowls, led by Dr. Michelle Bolden Hammond. For more information on Juneteenth in Caroline County, email [email protected]. Visit The Aunties Farm for more information on Mt. Pleasant Acres Farm.
You can also mark the Juneteenth holiday in several other Bay communities.
Annapolis: A festival lasting from Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21 takes over the city, including a parade and the opening of downtown’s first Juneteenth Museum and Soul Food restaurant.
From 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, the Annapolis Department of Recreation and Parks will host a Juneteenth celebration and concert at two locations: Carr’s/Elktonia Heritage Park on Bembe Beach Road and the Annapolis Maritime Museum Park and Pavilion at Ellen O. Moyer Park on Edgewood Road. The two locations are directly adjacent to one another. The free event will include food trucks, with bands performing on two stages.
Baltimore
The city hosts AFRAM, one of the largest African American cultural and arts events on the East Coast. It boasts nationally known entertainers, local food, art, fashion and culture. This year’s musical lineup headliners are Patti LaBelle and Juvenile with appearances by Teedra Moses, Saweetie, Amerie and Vedo. The festival runs Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22 12-9pm in Druid Hill Park. For more information visit AFRAM Baltimore.
Harford County
Join the Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 21, in Darlington, Maryland. This family reunion-style festival runs 12-6pm at Hosanna School, a restored Freedmen’s Bureau School founded near the end of the Civil War. The festival includes tours of the Hosanna School Museum, craft vendors, food, living biography presentations of Harriet Tubman and Edmonia Highgate, drumming, dancing, the Transitions to Freedom Concert and a bike giveaway. Visit the Hosanna School Museum for more information.
Cecil County
The Elkton Juneteenth Celebration – 160th Jubilee of Freedom and Hope will be on June 19, 10am-4pm, with inspiring speakers, historical exhibits, live performances, artisans, family-friendly activities, interactive workshops, delicious food, and a Boots on the Ground line dance.
Kent County
Chestertown’s Fountain Park will be the site of the Bayside HOYAS Heroes of the Chesapeake Block Party on Friday, June 13, 5-8pm. This Juneteenth celebration will showcase the contributions and history of African Americans on the Eastern Shore.
Queen Anne’s County
In Centreville, the Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center will present its Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 14, 8am-4pm. Kennard’s Juneteenth begins with Father’s Day haircuts, a Freedom Parade at 10am, live music, a kids’ zone, vendor book giveaways and food trucks. Dr. Clara Small, History Professor Emerita of Salisbury University, and Carole Boston Weatherford, author of Kin: Rooted in Hope (the Maryland One Book 2025), will hold readings and book signings. Visit Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center for more information.
St. Mary’s County
St. Mary’s College of Maryland holds its annual Mulberry Music Festival on Saturday, June 20, to kick off a weekend of Juneteenth festivities. Along with popular musical performers like the Kelly Bell Band, there are kids’ activities, Southern Maryland food vendors, and a professional fireworks display at the end of the night. Learn more here.
Talbot County
In Easton on Saturday, June 21, 12-4pm, the Academy Arts Museum will celebrate Juneteenth with a block party style event in front of the Museum. This year’s theme is “Our Freedom! Our Story”, chosen to honor the culture, history and resilience of the African American community through music, storytelling and family activities. Visit Juneteenth: Academy Arts Museum for more information.
Worcester County
The Sturgis One Room School in Pocomoke is the only African American one-room school in Worcester County. On Friday June 20, its Juneteenth celebration begins at the Pocomoke Library with an open mic night hosted by Sista Big. The program will feature singers, poets and spoken word artists. On Saturday, June 21, the School will be open from 12-4 pm for free tours. Vendors will offer jewelry, apparel, and baked goods, with live music and a bounce house for children. Visit Juneteenth Sturgis One Room School for more information.
Williamsburg, Virginia’s Historic Triangle
Join the Juneteenth Community Consortium, an association of organizations in the Greater Williamsburg Area from June 14-21, for its celebration of Juneteenth across several locations. Visit America’s First Free Black Settlement for readings, performances and a presentation of the history of Juneteenth. Enjoy a Juneteenth Freedom Fest in Freedom Park. Come to York County’s Annual Juneteenth Celebration. Take in a Juneteenth Sunrise Service at Williamsburg. At Williamsburg’s Kimball Theatre view Ancestral Artistry, the influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture. Come to a sing-along and listen to Black Texas Tales told by master storyteller Sheila Arnold. Visit the Juneteenth Community Consortium for more information on dates, times and locations.
