Join Us for the 2007 Twin Cities Juneteenth Celebration!

A community observation in Minnesota for the past 22 years Juneteenth commemorates the historic events of June 19th 1965 when African slaves in Galveston Texas learned, 2 ½ years after the fact, that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them.  Juneteenth is observed locally and nationally as a day of reflection, empowerment and preparation for future challenges.  Using historical and culturally specific information to ensure a better future for African American individuals, families, and communities is a key aim of Juneteenth programs and activities. 

The festival is a rich assortment of more than 100 marketplace vendors (small businesses, corporations, non-profit and health organizations, food and beverage vendors); three music and entertainment stages; art, reading, and history villages; parades and walks; and a community breakfast.  Special appearances during festival include members of the renowned "Tuskegee Airmen" in the History Pavilion, members of the Minnesota Lynx at the Reading Village and T. Mychael Rambo as the Parade Grand Marshal.  Related programming includes a series of community wellness and betterment forums, a double dutch jump rope contest, and the theatrical production “Kumbayah . . . the Juneteenth Story”.