Juneteenth 2025: Events and ceremonies across Connecticut
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is being celebrated across the nation leading up to the holiday on Thursday, June 19.
The holiday marks the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States, specifically on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom.
Juneteenth started with handbills proclaiming freedom. Here's what they said
Black Americans have celebrated Juneteenth since the 1800s, however, it has been officially recognized as a federal holiday over the last few years.
About 28 states, including Connecticut, have made it a permanent paid or legal holiday with legislation or executive action, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Here are some events and celebrations being held across the state:
Bloomfield
Juneteenth Run/Walk 5K Race & ParadeDate: Saturday, June 21 | 8 a.m. & 9 a.m.Location: Blue Hills Fire Department, 1021 Blue Hills Ave.
Date: Sunday, June 22 | 1–5 p.m.Location: Blue Hills Fire Department, 1021 Blue Hills Ave.
Branford
Date: Monday, June 16 | 6–8 p.m.Location: Blackstone Library, 758 Main St.
East Hartford
Date: Saturday, June 14 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m.Location: East Hartford Town Green, 1047 Main St.
Enfield
Bells for JuneteenthDate: Thursday, June 19 | NoonLocation: Enfield United Church of Christ, 1295 Enfield St.
Hamden
Date: Wednesday, June 18 | 6–8 p.m.Location: Miller Memorial Library, 2901 Dixwell Ave.
Date: Saturday, June 21 | 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Location: Miller Memorial Library
Date: Saturday, June 22 | 3–5 p.m.Location: Villano Park
Hartford
Hartford African American Parade & Juneteenth CelebrationDate: Saturday, June 14 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.Location: Keney Park, 337 Vine St.
Date: Thursday, June 19 | 9 a.m.–2 p.m.Location: The Artists Collective, 1200 Albany Ave.
Meriden
Date: Wednesday, June 18 | 2–3 p.m.Location: Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St.
Date: Wednesday, June 18 | 2–3 p.m.Location: Meriden Public Library (Teen Room)
Date: Wednesday, June 18 | 6–7 p.m.Location: Meriden Public Library
Middletown
Date: Thursday, June 19 | 10:30 p.m.–6 p.m.Location: Harbor Park, 80 Harbor Dr.
Milford
Juneteenth Flag-Raising CeremonyDate: Friday, June 13 | 12 p.m.Location: Milford City Hall, 110 River St.
Date: Saturday, June 14 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m.Location: Milford Green
Mystic/Stonington
Mystic Seaport Lecture: Connecticut & JuneteenthDate: Thursday, June 19 | 3-4:30 p.m.Location: Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave.
New Britain
Date: Thursday, June 19 | 5–8:30 p.m.Location: Central Park, 230 Main St.
New Haven
Date: Friday, June 14 | 7–8:30 p.m.Location: New Haven Green
Dates: June 15–22Location: Participating restaurants
Date: Thursday, June 19 | 10 a.m.–6 p.m.Location: Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St.
Date: Friday, June 20 | 7–9:30 p.m.Location: New Haven Green (Lower)
Date: Saturday, June 21 | 12–5 p.m.Location: New Haven Green (Upper)
Date: Saturday, June 21 | 12–6 p.m.Location: Edgewood Park Historic District
Date: Saturday, June 21 | 12–5 p.m.Location: Dixwell 'Q' House, 54 Dixwell Ave.
Date: Sunday, June 22 | 6:30–9:30 p.m.Location: New Haven Green (Lower)
New London
Date: Saturday, June 14 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m.Location: Hempsted Houses, 11 Hempstead St.
Date: Wednesday, June 18 | 4:30 p.m.Location: New London Public Library, 63 Huntington St.
North Haven
Wine Down for JuneteenthDate: Thursday, June 19 | 6–9 p.m.Location: Valor Wines, 118 Quinnipiac Ave.
Portland
Date: Saturday, June 14 | 12–5 p.m.Location: Portland Middle School
Simsbury
Farmington Valley Juneteenth CelebrationDate: Saturday, June 14 | 1–5 p.m.Location: Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, 22 Iron Horse Blvd.
Waterbury
Date: Friday, June 13 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. Location: Connecticut State Community College – Naugatuck Valley, 750 Chase Parkway
West Hartford
Date: Saturday, June 14 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.Location: West Hartford Town Hall, 50 S Main St.
If an event or ceremony is missing from the list, email bailey.wright@wtnh.com to have it added. Please include a location, date, time and a link to the event.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Johnstown church's historic honor to kick off seven-day Juneteenth celebration
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A series of upcoming community events will bring people together for reflection, fellowship, friendship and unity. The Johnstown Branch of the NAACP and Flood City Youth Fitness Academy will sponsor a seven-day celebration in recognition of Juneteenth, with events to be held Friday through June 19 in Johnstown. Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in June 1865, and more generally the emancipation of slaves throughout the Confederate South. This year's theme is 'I Am Juneteenth.' 'Juneteenth highlights the fact that as African Americans in this country, we are full citizens, and it marks freedom,' said Alan Cashaw, president of the Johnstown Branch of the NAACP. 'We want all the power you get as a citizen to be available to you and for you to have that privilege to practice, and that's voting, employment, health care and education.' To kick off the celebration, the First Cambria AME Zion Church building, 409 Haynes St., will celebrate the honor of being included on the National Register of Historic Places at 6 p.m. Friday with a ceremony and plaque unveiling. PHOTO GALLERY | Rev. Sharon Johnson | First Cambria A.M.E. Zion Church Being on the list means the building, which is the oldest Black church in Cambria County, has been deemed an important part of the nation's history. The church was founded in 1873 by Black citizens, and members participated in many historic events, including when parishioners fought in World War I and later contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. The church helped mitigate tensions in 1923 when Johnstown's white mayor ordered the banishment of all Black and Mexican people who had not lived in the city for at least seven years. Barbara Zaborowski, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College's dean of library services and special projects, who wrote the application for the nomination, said the lengthy approval process went through several phases. 'It had to meet criteria for social and civil rights significance, and the church has been involved in the Civil Rights Movement since its founding,' she said. Additional events will be held at Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St. • The Juneteenth Music Celebration will be held Saturday. Gates will open at noon. Entertainment on the main stage will include Stemtec at 1 p.m.; DJ Mot Productions at 2:45 p.m.; Maestro Johnny Croom & Band at 3 p.m.; Dr. Hook, Flood City Youth Fitness Academy's Dazzlin' Divas 1 and Sidk & Kim Murray at 4:15 p.m.; Smooth Sound Band and Aaron 'The Entertainer' Jefferson at 4:45 p.m.; By Any Means Necessary – Kyle Steed, Michelle Steed and Damon Wilks at 5:40 p.m.; Poet Cool & DJ Zay Brick featuring Sidk & Kim Murray at 6:40 p.m.; Grammy Award-nominated artist Major at 7 p.m.; and Ang Michaelle, Luvsik and Nia Taylor at 7:45 p.m. 'Every year, we want this to grow, so this year we're able to bring in a national recording artist as our special guest who is R&B and gospel,' said Deacon Jeffrey Wilson, concert coordinator. 'We also want to highlight and showcase some of our local entertainment that would appeal to our younger people.' An honoring of veterans will take place at 2:15 p.m. The event also will include a three-on-three basketball tournament with 10 teams on four courts. 'This is a well-rounded event that will appeal to the entire region,' Wilson said. 'We want people to get an education on what Juneteenth is in America, and for them to have a wonderful family day in the city of Johnstown with music, food and fun.' There is no fee to attend. • At 3 p.m. Sunday, Johnstown Community Gospel Choir will perform. The Rev. June Jeffries is to speak at 4 p.m. Black Fathers Paint & Rip will feature painting, fashion and poetry at 5 p.m. with DJ Kvng Teej providing entertainment. • A walkathon against drugs and violence will be held at 2 p.m. June 16 starting from Trojan Stadium, 222 Central Ave., and proceeding to Peoples Natural Gas Park. At 3 p.m., there will be a rally against drugs and violence. • Juneteenth Youth Day will be held at 2 p.m. June 17, with a Michael Jackson impersonator, magician and ventriloquist Leonard D. Delesky, Simplicity's Wonderful World balloons, African storytelling by Ms. Enee and Deaconess Darlene Seals, a bouncy house and a water slide. At 3:15 p.m., Kulani West African Dance Group will perform, followed by Ibeji African Dance Group at 4 p.m. and music at 6 p.m. A showing of the movie 'Wicked' will be presented at 8 p.m. • A health fair will be offered at 3 p.m. June 18, followed by puppet ministry at 4 p.m. and a performance by Smooth Sound Band at 6 p.m. • The celebration will conclude at noon June 19 with a parade starting at Franklin and Washington streets and proceeding to Peoples Natural Gas Park. At 1 p.m., a Juneteenth proclamation will be read by Johns-town Mayor Frank Janakovic. A Black veterans recognition ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m., followed by music by DJ Moe Be at 3 p.m., Chris Dahlin and Yoko the cockatoo at 5 p.m. and The Palovations at 6 p.m. Cashaw said organizers hope to see 300 to 500 people per day attend Juneteenth events this year. 'If we're over 3,000 people for the week, that's increasing exposure, and we're looking to grow every year,' he said. 'The community is behind this and that's fantastic. They ask when they can see the Juneteenth schedule because their expectations are high, and I hope we meet them.' For more information, visit
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Juneteenth events set in Ashtabula
ASHTABULA — The Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum is planning several events to celebrate Juneteenth. Museum Executive Director Sally Bradley said a special walk-through event is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. Sunday. 'This self-guided experience invites the public to reflect on the history of emancipation and honor the courage of those who fought for freedom,' Bradley said. The Hubbard House served as final stop on the Underground Railroad. 'The Juneteenth walk-through offers visitors a powerful opportunity to explore the museum's historic rooms, exhibits, and artifacts — including the Daisy Baskerville Africana Rooms, the Soldier's Room, and the Civil War Lobby,' Bradley said. 'This is a day of rememberance, resilience, and reconnection. We welcome all to walk through the history, reflect on the legacy, and take part in a meaningful celebration of freedom,' she said. The event is free and donations are welcome to support the museum's educational programs and preservation efforts, Bradley said. A Juneteenth event is also being scheduled for noon June 19, starting at the Hubbard House, said Rev. Sharone Sing, who serves on the museum's board. 'We will meet at Hubbard House and march to Miracle Temple for a short memorial service in recognition of Juneteenth,' he said. He said a reading of General Order #3 will occur at Hubbard House. The order was originally delivered by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and announced the end of slavery. Freedom had been granted two and a half years before by the Emancipation Proclamation, but was not communicated to the former slaves until 1865. Sing said the service is expected to be short and include several songs, and some words to commemorate the event.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Suffolk Transit offers free rides for Juneteenth
SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Suffolk Transit is joining Hampton Roads Transit in celebrating Juneteenth with a free-fare day. Passengers using Suffolk Transit can transfer to an HRT bus and continue to travel throughout other Hampton Roads localities for free on Thursday, June 19. Paratransit services will also be free, according to the City of Suffolk. The service area is limited to pickup and drop-off locations within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed-route bus system. Route information is available here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
