YORK, Pa. — Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, is celebrated annually on June 19.
This year, since the holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be also be observed publicly on Monday, June 20.
This weekend, several municipalities and organizations across Central Pennsylvania will mark the occasion with ceremonies and other observations.
Here's a list of some of them.
Events that will be held on dates other than June 19 will be noted in bold.
Adams County
Gettysburg
The third annual Juneteenth Parade and Jamboree will be held Sunday, June 19.
The parade will begin at noon in the borough. People are encouraged to bring signs that promote Black positivity.
Following the parade, the Third Annual Juneteenth Jamboree kicks off at the end of the parade route at 545 Long Lane.
The Jamboree features live music, children’s activities, food, Black marketplace, and much more.
For more information, go here.
Dauphin County
Harrisburg
The City of Harrisburg will host a Juneteenth Celebration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center at 10 North 2nd Street.
There will be musical performances, food trucks, artisan vendors, and living history interpreters.
More information is available here.
The National Civil War Museum will host a Juneteenth Community Free Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the museum, located at One Lincoln Circle in Reservoir Park.
Schedule of events (may be subject to change):
10:10 to 10:30 a.m., Rotunda, First Floor, Tim Hodge presents as Martin Delany, Abolitionist and Civil War Officer
10:30 to 11:25 a.m., Ballroom, Second Floor, Dr. Sharonn Williams presents Juneteenth: How the Reconstruction and the Freedmen's Bureau Facilitated the end of Slavery in the United States.
11:30 a.m. tp 12 p.m., Rotunda, First Floor, James Hayney as President Abraham Lincoln presents the Emancipation Proclamation (11:30 to 11:50 a.m.)
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Education Gallery, First Floor, KINdred Spirits and Dauphin County Library: Start Climbing Your Family Tree; 4 sessions, each one lasting a half hour.
12 to 12:55 p.m., Café, Second Floor, KINdred Spirits: They Are All a Part of Me
1 to 1:55 p.m., Ballroom, Second Floor, KINdred Spirits: How to Recover Your Family History or brief genealogy intro
2 to 2:10 p.m., Rotunda, First floor, Musket Drawing
2:10 to 2:55 p.m., Education Gallery, First Floor, Brett Kelley: Preserving Family Heirlooms and Artifacts
3 to 3:10 p.m., Rotunda, First Floor, Martin Delany reads General Orders #3
3:15 to 4 p.m., Ballroom, Second Floor, Barbara Barksdale, Hallowed Grounds: Segregated in Death
For more information, go here.
Harrisburg will also host a Juneteenth Jubilee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 19 at Reservoir Park, 100 Concert Drive.
The day of fun and celebration will offer chances to get to know different community organizations and what they have to offer, along with music, games, and fun for the whole family.
Go here for more information.
Franklin County
Chambersburg
Franklin County's third annual Juneteenth event will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at locations across Chambersburg.
The celebration includes service projects in the morning throughout the community, a children's book giveaway at Mike Waters Park, and the main celebration with free food and entertainment in the afternoon at Wilson College Main Lawn.
Lancaster County
Lancaster
The African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster will host a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 17 at the Lancaster City Welcome Center on Penn Square.
For more information, go here.
A Juneteenth Cultural Mixer will be held Sunday, June 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Crispus Attucks Community Center at 407 Howard Avenue.
This free event will include food and beverages, performances, history, and time to gather and reflect.
The focus for this year’s celebration of Juneteenth is on the theme of “Juneteenth: Past, Present, Future.”
For more information, go here.
The Stevens Greenland Cemetery, at 1000 South Duke Street in Lancaster, will host a Juneteenth celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, June 20. The event will feature lunch and dessert, speakers Nelson Polite Jr. and Leroy Hopkins, and a moment of silence for lives lost to slavery.
The event is free and open to everyone.
Columbia
The Zion Hill Cemetery will host a Juneteenth dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 17 at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center at 41 Walnut Street. The dinner will be catered by chef Oliver Saye, who runs a West African food business homage. The event will feature historical lectures from Saye, speaker Celeste Leslie and Chris Vera director of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society.
Tickets cost $50 and can be reserved by calling 717-572-7149 or emailing columbiahistory717@gmail.com.
Proceeds will go toward the Zion Hill Cemetery Restoration Project.
For more information, go here.
Lititz
Leon Block Independent Media and Lititz Chooses Love will collaborate to celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth with an event on Saturday, June 18 at Lititz Springs Park at 18 North Broad Street from 12 to 8 p.m.
There will be singers, dancers, drag performers, poets, music, food, and more. The event is free admission and is open to people of all ages.
For more information, go here.
Millersville University
Imani Edu-Tainers will host Juneteenth events at the Ware Center at 42 North Prince Street in Lancaster at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 19.
Saturday's event is themed "Calabash: The African Gourd." Music and dance will honor West African traditions, culture, and gods. Tickets cost $25.
Sunday's event includes hands-on cultural arts activities, dance classes, and a Zoom lecture.
For tickets to both events, use this link.
Lebanon County
Lebanon
The Lebanon County branch of the NAACP will host a Juneteenth event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 in Pavilion 4 at Lebanon's South Hills Park at 1100 South Lincoln Avenue.
There will be spoken word performances and a community summit, along with a raffle, music, food, and games for the kids.
For more information, go here.
York County
Hanover
The Juneteenth Jubilee will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at Wirt Park located at 101 West Park Avenue.
A celebration of black history and accomplishments with an emphasis on Hanover. Featuring speakers, music, poetry, art, trivia, food, fashion, and a special area just for kids, this event promises to be both educational and entertaining.
For more information, go here.
York
Juneteenth York 2022 will be held on Sunday, June 19 at York College's Campus Park at Voni Grimes Gym, 125 East College Avenue, from 12 to 4 p.m.
The free community event will include speakers, music, entertainment, food vendors, a Legacy Kids Zone with fun activities, and more.
For additional information, go here.
A Juneteenth Block Party Celebration will be held at Union Lutheran Church in York located at 408 West Market Street, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 19.
The block party will offer free food, music, free clothing, a bounce house, games, and more.
For more information, go here.
York College of Pennsylvania will mark Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, with a talk by Todd Allen, vice president of diversity affairs at Messiah University.
“Freedom Is a Constant Struggle” will begin at 3:30 p.m., June 21, in Waldner Performing Arts Center. The event is open to the public free of charge.
Allen’s discussion will provide a deeper discovery of the freedom struggles of the past, as well as an examination of how this quest for freedom serves as a guide for the ongoing quest for citizenship in the present.
In his current senior leadership role at Messiah, he provides focused attention to institution-wide policies and practices that promote inclusive excellence through the pursuit of diversity across the University. He is founder of the Common Ground Project, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching the history of the Civil Rights Movement. For the past 21 years, in partnership with the PNC Foundation, Allen has led the “Returning to the Roots of Civil Rights” bus tour. He is a frequent lecturer on commemorative practices/public memory related to the Civil Rights Movement and also teaches in Messiah’s Communication department.
For more information, go here.
