From concerts and cultural festivals to museum exhibits and community gatherings, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Juneteenth in and around New Orleans this month.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Communities across the Gulf South continue to mark the holiday with events honoring Black history, culture and resilience.
Here's a look at some of the Juneteenth events happening around the New Orleans area.
Saturday, June 13
Whitney Plantation Freedom Festival
- Location: Whitney Plantation, 5099 Highway 18, Wallace
- Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The Whitney Plantation will host its annual Freedom Festival featuring live music, storytelling, food vendors, panel discussions and self-guided tours of the museum grounds. This year's programming includes a conversation with civil rights pioneer Leona Tate, one of the first students to integrate a public school in New Orleans. Admission is free with registration.
Wednesday, June 17
- Location: New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle
- Time: 6 p.m.
- The New Orleans Museum of Art will celebrate Juneteenth with an evening concert in its Great Hall. Visitors can also explore the museum's collections, highlighting African and African diaspora art. Admission is included with museum entry.
Thursday, June 18
- Location: New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave.
- Time: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- The New Orleans Jazz Museum will host its annual Juneteenth Sneaker Ball, an evening of music, dancing and celebration honoring Black culture and history.
Friday, June 19
- Location: Congo Square at Louis Armstrong Park, 701 N. Rampart St.
- Time: Noon to 5:30 p.m.
- The Louisiana Afro-Indigenous Society's annual Juneteenth celebration returns to Congo Square with live music, local artists, food vendors, educational exhibits and community organizations. The event is free and open to the public.
Ancestral Odyssey by Vince Fraser
- Location: New Orleans African American Museum, 1418 Governor Nicholls St.
- Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The New Orleans African American Museum's immersive digital art installation, Ancestral Odyssey, explores the history of Black Masking Indians and the African diaspora through Afro-surrealist storytelling. Created by artist Vince Fraser in collaboration with local cultural leaders, the exhibit blends art, history and technology in a multi-sensory experience.
Voices Reclaimed: A Juneteenth Fundraiser
- Location: Mount Zion Baptist Church, 2200 Dumaine St.
- Time: 2 p.m.
- This benefit concert will raise money for restoration efforts at the historic Mount Zion Baptist Church in Tremé. Organizers say proceeds will help preserve one of the neighborhood's longstanding landmarks.
“The Black Pages,” A Multimedia experience training the evolution of sound
- Location: The New Marigny Theatre, 2301 Marais St.
- Time: 7:00 p.m.
- New Orleans artist Juice presents The Black Pages, a multimedia performance tracing the evolution of Black music from spirituals and blues to jazz, soul and hip-hop. Combining live music, visuals and storytelling, the show explores how generations of Black artists transformed history, culture and lived experience into sounds that continue to shape the world.
Saturday, June 20
- Location: In front of the Andre Cailloux Center
- Time: 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
- Local vendors and growers will offer fresh produce, food and community resources as part of the Bayou Road Juneteenth celebration.
- Location: Andre Cailloux Center, 2541 Bayou Road
- Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Community leaders, entrepreneurs and advocates will gather for discussions focused on economic development, business opportunities and community investment.
- Location: Andre Cailloux Center, 2541 Bayou Road
- Time: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- The Louisiana Afro-Indigenous Society's Freedom Gala will feature music, speakers and celebrations highlighting Black culture, leadership and achievement.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR.
