Juneteenth 2022: New Orleans events observe with festivals, second-line, panel discussions, more

NEW ORLEANS, La. (NOLA WEEKEND) - This weekend, several New Orleans events will honor Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. on June 19.

Last year, Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day after President Joe Biden signed a bill into law.

This year, the holiday is being observed with activities around the New Orleans area such as festivals, a second-line, panel discussions and free admission at a local museum.

Below is a list of community events commemorating Juneteenth in 2022. Check back for updates as we get them. Let us know about any other events here.

New Orleans Juneteenth Festival - The New Orleans Juneteenth Festival hosts a week-long slate of events from June 18 to June 20 to celebrate Juneteeth, culminating with a free festival at Armstrong Park on June 19. The festival features performances from Sunni Patterson and Casme’ and others. Plus, a panel discussion, called “A Blueprint to Freedom,” will highlight topics in economics, education, incarceration and self-defense. Festival-goers can also expect vendors, artists and other family activities at the event. The New Orleans Juneteenth Festival runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Congo Square inside Armstrong Park. For more information about the week-long schedule of events and the festival, visit the website.

NOLA Juneteenth Parade - Prior to the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival, the first-ever Juneteenth Parade kicks off at 2 p.m. in front of Armstrong Park at Orleans Avenue and Rampart Street.

Juneteenth at NOMA - The New Orleans Museum of Art hosts a day of free activities to commemorate Juneteenth on Sunday, June 19. Stop by throughout the day for special programs, performances, guided tours, and art-making activities for all ages. Programs and admission are free to the public. Register via the NOMA website.

WBOK 1230 AM Juneteenth Freedom Fest - The inaugural Juneteenth Freedom Festival, hosted by WBOK 1230 AM, commemorates Juneteenth with a street fair featuring a food truck park, kids activity area, open-air marketplace, panel discussions and other festivities. The festival starts at 11:30, with “Because of Them, We Can,” a traditional ancestral veneration ceremony honoring the spirit of Juneteenth. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to St. Mary Street. Visit the website for more details.

Honoring Fathers of the Movement: A Juneteenth Celebration - Ashe Cultural Arts Center hosts a second line celebrating both Juneteeth and Father’s Day on June 19. The event honors Civil Rights Movement leader Jerome “Big Duck” Smith and other “fathers of the movement.” The second line starts at the Historic Carver Theater, at 2101 Orleans Avenue, at ends at Hunter’s Field, 1659 N. Claiborne Avenue. The event is free and open to the public. For more details, visit the website.

Juneteenth Celebration - Local attorney Juan LaFonta hosts a free Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18 at the New Orleans Lakefront. According to a release, the family-friendly event honors Black history and the Juneteenth starting at 6 p.m. The event will conclude with a fireworks display starting at 8:30 p.m. The celebration will take place behind the Lakefront Arena between Franklin Avenue and the Seabrook Bridge.

Juneteenth Celebration: Afro-Caribbean Day Party - Outdoor event and entertainment venue Culture Park celebrates Juneteenth with an Afro-Caribbean Day Party on Saturday, June 18. The event features DJs playing afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B, reggae and reggaeton. Local food vendors will serve New Orleans and African dishes. Tickets are $20-$40 via Eventbrite.com.

Machine Noire at Marigny Opera House - Artist Marcus Brown debuts “Machine Noire,” an interactive musical performance, at Marigny Opera House on Sunday, June 19. The performance will use Brown’s process of Electro-Sonic Painting, or sound painting, to “tell a story of America’s enslaved human money-making machine,” a release says. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 7 p.m. See more information here.

Unveiling of Augmented Reality (AR) Slavery Trails Sculptures - New Orleans artist Marcus Brown will unveil his interactive sculpture series, Augmented Reality (AR) Slavery Trail, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 20. The project presents virtual sculptures only visible by smartphones or smart devices representing enslaved peoples during the chattel slavery period in the United States. Brown will unveil the first of this series at the neutral ground on the corner of Chartres Street and Esplanade Avenue. This is the same median where Solomon Northup, author of the memoir “Twelve Years a Slave,” was sold as a slave over 180 years ago. For more information, visit arslaverytrails.com.

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