Ways To Celebrate Juneteenth in Chicago

June 19th is the REAL freedom day when the word that slavery had ended finally reached the enslaved people of Galveston, TX.

A holiday just as important as the 4th of July, and with Chicago being a major destination of freed African Americans

fleeing the Jim Crow south in the Great Migration, this is the perfect city to celebrate in!

 

Here are some fantastic ways to celebrate this weekend!

 

 

 

Juneteenth Story Time

• Remember our virtual story time from last year? If you can’t make it out to any of the below events, watch our Colors of Chicago story time of Juneteenth For Maisie!

 

Juneteenth Citywide Caravan / Parade

• Friday, June 18, 2021; 1:45 PM 4:45 PM
• “We will begin lining up at 1:45 pm. We will depart from Malcolm X College at 1900 West Jackson, Chicago IL 60612 and conclude at A. Phillip Randolph Porter Museum at 10406 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60628 in Pullman.”

 

Juneteenth: The Celebration

• Harold Washington Cultural Center: 4701 S. King Dr.
• 6-19-21 at 1:00 PM
• Free grocery giveaway at 11 AM
• Performances by M.A.D.D Rhythms, BLU Rhythm Crew, Broadway In Bronzeville, & The Happiness Club

 

Beverly / Morgan Park Juneteenth Family Festival

• Beverly / Morgan Park: 110th Place and Longwood
• 11 AM – 7 PM
• “Join us for the Beverly/Morgan Park Juneteenth Family Festival and Black business Crawl! This educational and celebratory event will include storytelling, drumming circles, African-based art, culture, food, music and numerous kid activities. Black businesses will be promoting their goods and services on-site and this event is free to the public. All families are welcome!”

 

1865 Fest at the Band Stand

• Saturday, June 19th & Sunday, June 20th
• 10 AM – 8 PM
• Band Stand: 100 South Central Park Avenue, Chicago
• Celebrate Juneteenth and listen to live music!

 

Annual Juneteenth Celebration

• National A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
• Saturday, June 19, 2021; 2:00 PM 9:00 PM
• “The Black Mall and A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum presents our annual celebration. Come support this family-friendly event.”

 

Dusable Museum of African American History Reopening

• After being closed for more than a year, the nation’s first Black history museum will be reopening!
• Juneteenth Reopening Celebration (outdoors):
  Reopening Program: 11:00AM
  Juneteenth Celebration: 1:00PM
  Museum free admission: 11:00AM – 4:00PM
• “The reopening program which will take place in front of the Museum will feature specially invited guests, community leaders, elected officials and DuSable Museum personnel welcoming visitors, members and friends back to this world-class institution. The relevance of a “Juneteenth” reopening is in celebration this cultural holiday which commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.”

 

Juneteenth In The 9th

• Location: The Roseland and Pullman neighborhoods
• A free shuttle will take guests between Rose Cafe, Block House Gallery, One Eleven Food Hall, and The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum from 1 – 6 PM
• Festivities kick off 10 AM – 1 PM at Rose Café: 10701 S. King Drive
• Block House Gallery 2 -5 PM
• National A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum 2 – 9 PM
• One Eleven Food Hall 1-6 PM

 

Civil War to Civil Rights at Oak Woods Cemetery

• 1035 E. 67th St., by the S. Greenwood Ave. gate
• Start time is 1:00 PM
• “This large Victorian-era cemetery is the final resting place for prominent Chicagoans like Mayors Hale Thompson and Harold Washington and journalist Ida B. Wells, as well as other famous people, like Olympian Jesse Owens and physicist Enrico Fermi. A towering monument at the back of the cemetery marks the burial spot of several thousand Confederate soldiers who died while being held prisoner at Camp Douglas.”

 

Bronzeville Freedom Ride

• The ride begins at Noon on June 19th at Wintrust Arena: 200 E Cermak Rd.
• Ride south to Bronzeville and then into downtown for a final group photo in front of the Demand Justice art installation at the lakefront

 

The Woodlawn’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Block Party

• The Woodlawn 1200: 1200 East 79th Street Chicago
• Noon – 10 PM
• Rooftop parties, spoken word, live music, cultural activities, kids club, and more!

 

Juneteenth Parade and Celebration: Evanston

• 11 AM – 4 PM
  • 11AM – Parade begins at Robert Crown center parking lot traveling to Morton Civic Center
  • 1PM – Juneteenth Celebrations kick off at Twiggs Park with programming from Evanston Present and Future
  • 2:30PM – Celebrations continue at Twiggs Park with programming from the City of Evanston
• After the parade, enjoy musical entertainment, art, food and celebration at Ingraham Park until 4 p.m.!

 

Oak Park Car Parade & Picnic

• June 19th at 3 PM beginning in Taylor Park
• “The celebration, which was organized by community members and co-sponsored by the Village, will include a car caravan that is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at Taylor Park, loop the Village and return to the park for a community picnic at 4 p.m.”

 

Berwyn Juneteenth Fest

• June 19th, 2021 from 2 -7 PM
• 1529 S Harlem Ave, Berwyn
• “Happy Juneteenth! Our goal is to infuse Black Lives Matter & Black Liberation content with Black Music Month into a celebration of life and manifestation of freedom while showcasing unity.
  Please join us in advocating and in celebrating!”

 

Juneteenth / Father’s Day Celebration

• Eden Place Nature Center: 4417 S. Stewart Ave, Chicago
• Sunday, June 20th from Noon -3 PM
• A picnic outing that includes story telling, music, and more!

 

Eat at a Black owned restaurant!

• For two days, from Friday, June 18 to Saturday, June 19, more than 130 Black-owned restaurants in Chicago and Atlanta will celebrate by offering specials for $6.19 or $16.19.
• The full list of restaurants is available at the Black People Eats Instagram account

 

Don’t forget about our Bronzeville Scavenger Hunt!

• Thousands of African Americans fled the Jim Crow south and created a Black metropolis in the Bronzeville area of Chicago.
• Juneteenth is the perfect day to explore this historical area and our scavenger hunt from Black History Month is a wonderful way to explore!