Juneteenth: Here are events in the Mid Hudson Valley that are celebrating it
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when news that slavery had been abolished reached Galveston, Texas, two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The freed people of Galveston erupted into celebrations that day.
The following are Hudson Valley area events that mark Juneteenth, which is celebrated June 19 in 2022.
Know of an event not listed here? Please contact Heather Clark, hclark@gannett.com.
Warwick: June 18. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Juneteenth Celebration, Warwick Railroad Green, Power Project Collective
Middletown: June 18. 1-4 p.m. Juneteenth Festival, Mt. Hope Town Park, 340 Finchville Rd., Middletown. Music, local dancers, singers, spoken word, children's activities, local vendors, more. Sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County.
Poughkeepsie: June 18. From noon to 6 p.m. at Mansion Square Park 165 Mansion St. in the city. Live music, food and entertainment for the second annual event which honors Theodore "Tree" Arrington, the late community leader. Free to attend. For more information, contact the R.E.A.L. Skills Network at 845-452-6088, ext. 3169, or email realskillsnetwork@gmail.com.
New Paltz: June 18-19. The two-day event will include a commencement ceremony at New Paltz Rural Ceremony, (noon-1 p.m. June 18) followed by speakers, tours, live music and a buffet-style lunch on Huguenot Street, 2-6 p.m. From 7:30-9 p.m. there will be a Juneteenth Movie Screening (movie TBD), at Elting Memorial Library. June 19, at Unison Arts, there will be a 4 p.m. concert performance by Hubby Jenkins (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops). For more info on all the weekend's events, go to eltinglibrary.org/juneteenth
Poughkeepsie: June 19. Author Imani Perry will speak on her new book, "South To America," followed by a Q&A and a book signing in the lobby of the Bardavon. Free event. 5 p.m. Tickets available at Poughkeepsie’s Adriance Memorial Library, as well as the Bardavon or UPAC box offices. For info, go to bardavon.org.
Newburgh: June 19. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Juneteenth Celebration, Downing Park, Newburgh. Special performances by Kuswaii, TieraLynne, Newburgh Armory Dancers, Giogenesis, LauranMarie. Plus raising awareness topics, Father's Day raffles, food and vendors. Activities for children: multiple bouncy houses, water slides, dunk tank, relay races and more. Hosted by Moochie Merchant.
Staatsburgh: Slavery, Segregation and Staatsburgh, June 19: Staatsburgh’s Zachary Veith will lead a conversation exploring the transition from a Black presence at Staatsburgh during the early 19th century to the absence of Black people at the estate during the Gilded Age. This one-hour conversation will include historic photographs and documents related to this history, notably a letter from Staatsburgh’s archives detailing the sale of Peter Williams into slavery. 1 p.m. Free, but reservations are required at bookeo.com/StaatsburghSHS.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Juneteenth 2022: Events in Mid Hudson Valley New York
