Juneteenth celebrations happening around New Orleans
Jun 19, 2025 | 4:16 pm ET
Description
A woman hands out Juneteenth flags to attendees during a Juneteenth celebration event at Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 19, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
On Thursday, many in New Orleans will celebrate the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth, which was recognized as a federal holiday four years ago.
Juneteenth commemorates the date when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, received news of the Emancipation Proclamation. One year later, they gathered to honor the anniversary of their freedom, eventually leading to Texas being the first state to formally recognize the date as a state holiday.
In New Orleans, slavery was abolished through a constitutional council meeting on May 11, 1864, amidst the Civil War. Black New Orleanians gathered in Congo Square — where Juneteenth celebrations are still held today — to celebrate with a parade and live music.
From jazz performances to art shows, find a way to celebrate Juneteenth this Thursday and Friday:
THURSDAY
New Orleans Juneteenth Festival
When: noon. – 5 p.m.
Where: Louis Armstrong Park
Cost: Free
Presented by the Louisiana Afro-Indigenous Society, this event starts with a second line kickoff at noon and continues with live music, artists, panelists and vow renewals.
“HOPE” 3rd Annual Juneteenth Splash Day Celebration
When: noon – 4 p.m.
Where: Behrman Memorial Park, 701 N. Rampart St., New Orleans
Cost: Free
Families are encouraged to bring their children to enjoy time in the pool, face painting, games and more.
Juneteenth Pool Party and Cookout
When: noon – 10 p.m.
Where: Blue Crawfish, 1620 Dumaine St, New Orleans
Cost: $25.50 per person
The Blue Crawfish Hotel will serve drinks and food from Ethiopian restaurant Addis NOLA poolside alongside live saxophone and DJs.
Juneteenth Fundraiser and Community Block Party
When: 3-10 p.m.
Where: Café Istanbul, 2372 St. Claude Ave., Room 252, New Orleans
Cost: Free
In addition to live music, New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police will host a silent auction and raffle and bring in vendors and craft workshops to fundraise for their organization.
Voices Reclaimed: A Juneteenth Celebration
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Mount Zion Baptist Church, 2200 Dumaine St., New Orleans
Cost: Free
“Voices Reclaimed” is a concert that spotlights the cultural legacy of Black composers on classical music.
FRIDAY
When: 7-10 p.m.
Where: André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice, 2541 Bayou Road, New Orleans
Cost: $95 per person
The theme of this year’s gala is Black Tense, with a goal of celebrating Black past, present and future through a specialized menu with traditional and contemporary elements.
When: 4-8 p.m.
Where: 4026 Post Drive, Harvey
Cost: Free
The Krewe of Athena is hosting a free event for families featuring guest speakers, a kids activity zone and even free health screenings.
This article first appeared on Verite News New Orleans and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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