Juneteenth around Indianapolis: Parades, festivals, concerts to celebrate the holiday

Juneteenth is almost here, and Indianapolis has no shortage of celebrations to mark the occasion.

Named a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth recognizes the day the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The first Juneteenth was celebrated the following year in Galveston, and the holiday has since become observed across the country.

This year’s Juneteenth falls on a Monday, but Indy-area museums, cultural organizations and more will hold events through this weekend. One of the weekend’s biggest events, the Madam CJ Walker Legacy Center’s Legacy Ball and Concert with headliner Gladys Knight, is already sold out, but there are other events that still have availability or don’t require a ticket.

Here are some of the ways organizations across the city plan to celebrate.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Juneteenth Foodways Festival

4:30-8 p.m. Friday. 1230 N. Delaware St. bhpsite.org. Free.

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site will hold its Juneteenth Foodways Festival – honoring the legacy of White House cook Dolly Johnson – Friday. The site will collaborate with the Freetown Village living history museum and more than 20 local food partners to bring Johnson and her American cuisine to life. Admission is free and open to the public, but $20 early access passes permit entry at 3:30 p.m. Purchase early access passes at bit.ly/462Go4B.

Midtown Juneteenth Freedom Celebration

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. 45 W. 40th St. midtownindy.org. Free.

Midtown Indy will hold its third annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at Tarkington Park Saturday. The event will feature more than 20 nonprofits and service organizations, performances from Epiphany Dance Collective, Sancocho Drums, storyteller Portia Sholar Jackson and local poet Januarie York and a youth basketball clinic hosted by Tamika Catchings’ Catch the Stars Foundation. Admission is free and open to the public, but prior registration is encouraged. Registration is available at bit.ly/3NuiYxL.

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Juneteenth at Indiana State Museum

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. 650 W. Washington St. indianamuseum.org. Free.

Indianapolis’ Indiana State Museum, along with all 12 historic sites across the state, will offer free admission Saturday. The museum will highlight the city's oldest Black church, Bethel AME, and the 19th century Black activists that influenced President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Visitors will have the opportunity to contribute to a Juneteenth freedom poster, participate in hands-on woodworking activities and make their own activist stickers, and the museum will feature performances from the Epiphany Dance Collective and the Rhythm of Freedom drum circle.

Indiana Historical Society Afternoon of Celebration

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 450 W. Ohio St. indianahistory.org. Free.

The Indiana Historical Society will host award-winning music group Thomas and The Situation for its Juneteenth Celebration Saturday. The gospel group will perform from 2-4 p.m. Admission is free, but prior registration is encouraged. Register at bit.ly/3Nvf9Za.

Center for Black Literature and Culture Book Fest

11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, 40 E. St. Clair St. indypl.org. Free.

The Indianapolis Public Library’s Central Library will hold its Book Fest and Juneteenth Celebration Saturday. The event, hosted by the library’s Center for Black Literature, will feature a talk from civil rights activist and Galveston native Fay Williams and “The Juneteenth Table: Putting a Twist on Tradition” cookbook selection.

Eiteljorg Museum Juneteenth and Jazz

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 500 W. Washington St. eiteljorg.org. Free.

The Eiteljorg Muesum will host almost four hours of jazz music in its outdoor venue during its Juneteenth and Jazz Celebration. The event, which also features art from Kevin Nance-West, will include performances from the Rob Dixon quartet, the Freetown Village Singers and more.

Arts for Lawrence Juneteenth

4-9 p.m. Saturday. 8950 Otis Ave. artsforlawrence.org. Free.

Arts for Lawrence will host its third annual Juneteenth Jubilee at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus Saturday. The event will include more than 45 vendors, artists, performers and more. Act A Foo improv group will perform at the Jubilee’s afterparty, also at the campus, from 9:30-10:30 p.m. Admission for the Jubilee is free, with tickets to the afterparty available for $20. Purchase tickets at bit.ly/4425C12

Madam Walker Legacy Center Legacy Fest

Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 617 Indiana Ave. madamwalkerlegacycenter.com. Free.

The Madam CJ Walker Legacy Center will hold its second annual Legacy Fest Block Party Saturday and Sunday. The two-day event will feature live music, vendors, food trucks, designated adults’ and kids’ zones and a Sunday brunch and DaddyDoDay competition, where fathers who enter will showcase their hair styling skills with their daughters.

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Indy Juneteenth Festival and Parade

10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. 610 W. New York St. indyjuneteenth.org. Free.

The sixth annual Indy Juneteenth Festival and Parade will take place Saturday at Military Park and feature a slate of Indianapolis performers and vendors. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs through downtown to Military Park, where the festival will begin at noon. Six Indy-area artists (Beonit, DJ Mary Jane, Dwani, Ground Zero, KOM. Band, Lorea and Terrance Anderson) will headline the festival, which will also include performances from local dance academies and theaters, more than 20 food trucks and more than 200 vendors.

Newfields Juneteenth Celebration

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 4000 Michigan Road. discovernewfields.org Free.

Newfields will offer free admission Sunday as part of its Juneteenth Celebration. The event will feature live music from local hip-hop trio Native Sun, galleries like “Work in Progress: Conversations About American Art” and hands-on art experiences.

Peace March and Community Celebration

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. 748 Massachusetts Ave. and 1702 Broadway St. indybfa.org. Free.

The Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association will march from its Union Hall to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park in a Peace March on Juneteenth. A celebration with food trucks, live music and more at the park will follow the march.

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Kurt Vonnegut Museum celebrates Juneteenth

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 543 Indiana Ave. vonnegutlibrary.org. Free.

As part of Indiana Avenue’s Juneteenth Block Party, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library will offer free admission on Juneteenth. Indiana University’s Jakobi Williams will deliver a talk on censorship and education, and the museum will unveil the second phase of its mural project, which now depicts the author, by Indianapolis artist Linda Adeniyi.

Fishers Juneteenth Jubilee

5-8 p.m. Monday. 13400 Allisonville Road. connerprairie.org. Free.

The Fishers Arts Council and Fisher High School’s Future Black Leaders Club will hold a Jubilee at Conner Prairie on Juneteenth. The event will feature local vendors and entertainment as well as a kids’ zone with a bounce house, face painting and hot air balloon rides with the purchase of tickets.

Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Juneteenth Concert/Art Show

6-8 p.m. Monday. 1201 Central Ave. indianalandmarks.org

Indiana Landmarks’ Black Heritage Preservation Program will showcase the best of Indy’s art and music scenes in its combination art show and concert on Juneteenth. The event will take place at the Indiana Landmarks Center and feature performances and art from gospel group Men in the Fire, improv comedians Act A Foo, art collective We Are Indy Arts and more. General admission tickets are $25, while VIP tickets are $50 (with discounts on both for Indiana Landmarks Members). Tickets are available at bit.ly/42VXuhX.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the Indiana State Museum would offer free admission Monday and a Juneteenth fireworks event would take place at Flanner House. The Indiana State Museum will offer free admission Saturday, and Flanner House is not hosting an event. The article has since been updated.

Contact Pulliam Fellow Heather Bushman at HBushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb1013.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Juneteenth in Indianapolis: Celebrate with parades, festivals and more