ST. LOUIS – Several events are planned around the St. Louis region this weekend in celebration of Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
Last year, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, a day on which enslaved African Americans learned of their freedom from Union soldiers. This happened two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Since June 19th falls on a Sunday this year, the federal holiday will be observed on a Monday. Here’s a list of some events planned around St. Louis this weekend to mark Juneteenth. Follow the links below for more information on times and locations.
Saturday, June 18
- Delmar Main Street – Juneteenth Festival
- Ferguson YMCA – Juneteenth event with Black-owned vendor booths
- Forest Park – Walk For Democracy and Justice
- Old North St. Louis –Juneteenth Celebration and Resource Fair
- Missouri Historical Society – Juneteenth Community Ride
Sunday, June 19
- Blue Strawberry Showroom Lounge – “A Song For My Father” Juneteemth celebration
- Dellwood Recreation Center – Juneteenth Parade
- Grand Center Arts District – Free family day
- House of Soul St. Louis – Free entry to Juneteenth Festival
- Missouri Botanical Garden – Free admission
- St. Louis African American Artifacts Festival – “Free Dome” celebration
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra – Free concert
