This coming weekend is the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival
It will be the third annual celebration and parade in honor of the Juneteenth on Sunday, June 19 in Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square.
Why We Celebrate Juneteenth
Each year, Juneteenth recognizes the effective emancipation of enslaved people in the United States by commemorating the 1865 arrival of Union troops in Texas— a state that had perpetuated its use of slavery long after the delivery of the Emancipation Proclimation and the close of the Civil War. Mounting Union presence in Texas marked the end of the state's ability to continue its system of enslavement, indicating the issuance of freedom to more than a quarter of a million formerly enslaved people in the state, as well as the abolition of all legal slavery within the U.S.
The New Orleans Juneteenth Festival is a non-profit organization that aims to celebrate this history while promoting the ongoing expansion of Black liberation and life within the city and beyond.
Juneteenth Festival Details
This year's festival will kick off on Saturday, June 18 with its second annual Freedom Gala. The gala offers live music, a fresh film screening, art auctions, Black trivia games, and more. It begins at 7 p.m. and will take place at Treme Market Branch. Tickets are available for purchase online here.
The main event, on Sunday, June 19— the date of the holiday itself— will take place in Louis Armstrong Park. It will start with a parade at 2 p.m. and continue into the festival from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Unlike the gala, entry to the parade and festival is free and open to any and all who wish to come celebrate. Attendees will be able to enjoy the live music, inspiring panels, and Juneteenth spirit all day long.
For more information on the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival, visit the event website or Instagram page, @nolajuneteenthfestival, for the most recent details and updates.
