The Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps will be performing for Juneteenth: The Movement. Photo: Handout/Biden Inaugural Committee via Getty Images
Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., is this Saturday and it'll be a big weekend of celebrations in Des Moines.
- Backstory: On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers told enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Here are some ways to celebrate Juneteenth in DSM this year:
- Neighbors Day, a free, family-friendly festival with music, art and history from 11am to 10pm Saturday at Western Gateway Park.
- Juneteenth: the Movement is a live multimedia event between IPR, Iowa PBS and xBk Live. Watch or listen to live performers 7-9pm Saturday or get tickets to the Des Moines event.
- Des Moines Black Liberation Movement is hosting a celebration with free food and a basketball tournament from 4-9pm Saturday at the Willkie House. Register for the tournament online.
Go deeper: Read a full Juneteenth guide from the Register here.
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