Your Guide To NJ Juneteenth Celebrations This Month

Juneteenth will be commemorated all across New Jersey this coming week and beyond. The annual holiday honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, which took place in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. 

Also known as Black Independence Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth serves as a powerful reminder of ongoing racial struggles worldwide. Though celebrated regularly since the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. Here’s where you can go to celebrate: 

Essex County 

-Newark: 

The City of Newark will have several Juneteenth Celebrations taking place throughout the week. 

The annual Juneteenth Cookout will take place at Harriet Tubman Square, 501-551 Broad St., on June 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. Local Black-owned restaurants will be serving free meals. There will also be live performances and DJ sets, line dancing, and games. 

The annual South Ward Juneteenth Festival hosted by Councilman Patrick O. Council will take place on June 21 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Bergen St. between Lyons Ave. and Nye Ave. There will be live music and entertainment, rides, health and wellness stands, and more. 

The Rutgers Newark Alumni Association will have its Juneteenth Celebration on June 19 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Paul Robeson Campus Center, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The day will include food, music, and family-friendly activities. Tickets are $5. 

The Sickle Cell Association of New Jersey will be hosting their Juneteenth Block Party with A Sickle Cellabration on June 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 867 Broad St. The event will feature book talks, free book giveaways, a drum circle, face painting, deejays, dancing, games and food trucks. The Sickle Cellabration takes place from 1 to 2 p.m. with a presentation on current services for sickle cell disease. 

Kean University’s Center for Africana Studies will celebrate Juneteenth on June 29, with a service at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 149 Springfield Ave., at 9:15 a.m. The celebration continues until noon. 

Hudson County 

-Jersey City:

The annual Juneteenth Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony will take place on June 18 at 3:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Balcony located at 280 Grove St. and will be presented by members of the National Juneteenth Observation Foundation. 

The Brennan Courthouse, 583 Newark Ave., will have its annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony on June 16 at noon and will feature Cheryl Murphy of the Jersey City Caribbean Cultural Carnival Foundation. 

Liberty State Park’s All About Us Festival will take place at the Green Ring at Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Dr., on June 19 from noon to 8 p.m. The event will celebrate Juneteenth with music, education, and history while featuring performances by Mario, Jadakiss, Robin S., Kenny Bobien, and Ted Smooth. Deejays include First Choice, Wallah, Mahogany, Midnite, Loki, and J Nice. Tickets can be found online.  

-Hoboken: 

The City of Hoboken will have its third annual Juneteenth Unity Picnic on June 19 at Pier A Lawn from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The event will include music, games, line dancing, and face painting among other activities. 

Ocean County 

-Long Branch/Toms River: 

The Bucky James Center, located at Wilbur Ray Ave., will have its fourth annual Juneteenth celebration on June 18 at 5 p.m. The Ocean County Library at Toms River will also host “Celebration of Juneteenth: Resilience, Courage and Freedom” from the morning until mid-afternoon. 

Monmouth County 

-Neptune Township and Asbury Park will host a joint celebration in honor of Juneteenth on June 21 at noon. A march will take place from Midtown Commons Park through West Lake and Springwood Ave. The celebration will continue at Springwood Park until 5 p.m. 

Middlesex County 

-North Brunswick: 

A Block Party celebrating Juneteenth will take place at Veterans Park, 1596 Roosevelt Ave., on June 19 from 3 to 7 p.m. The free event will feature live music and entertainment, kickball, relay races, a life-size version of the Game of Life, food from local vendors, line dancing, double dutch competitions and more.

Gloucester County 

-Glassboro: 

Glassboro will have its sixth annual Juneteenth Festival on June 28, at the Glassboro Sports Complex, 230 Wilmer St., from 2 to 8 p.m. The festival will include live music, entertainment and activities for kids, vendors for local businesses and the Juneteenth Community Awards. 

Camden County 

-Camden: 

The City of Camden will have their Juneteenth Event Dinner during their Juneteenth Freedom Festival on June 21, at the Camden County Historical Society, 1900 Park Blvd., from 2 to 8 p.m. The Historical Society’s museum will be open with a tour from 2 to 4 p.m. along with a marketplace and live performances. Dinner will be served by Chef Larry & Friends from Shepherd’s House. Tickets for the event can be found online at Eventbrite. 

-Voorhees Township: 

The Voorhees Township Cultural & Diversity Committee will have its Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration on June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Connolly Park, 605 Centennial Blvd. The event will include music and entertainment, food trucks, arts and crafts, and more. 

Union County 

-Union Township: 

The Union Special Improvement District will present Juneteenth: A Celebration of Liberation with the American Theater Group at the Union Arts Center, 1980 Morris Ave., on June 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. The event will feature live music with the Junior Mack Band, art exhibitions, poetry, and more. Tickets can be found online at ucpac.org. 

Kean University’s Center for Africana Studies will have their Freedom Walk on Tuesday, June 24 taking place at the Miron Student Center at 1000 Morris Ave. The walk will begin at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sculpture next to the Human Rights Institute. Following the walk, the Juneteenth Convocation in the Little Theater will have a ceremony in honor of the holiday with guest speakers and performances.