Jun 14, 2024 - News
Celebrating Juneteenth in Indy
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Juneteenth isn't until Wednesday, but Indianapolis is getting the party started this weekend.
The big picture: The June 19 holiday commemorates the day in 1865 — more than two months after the Civil War ended and two years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared an end to slavery — when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they'd been freed.
Driving the news: Circle City's biggest Juneteenth bash — the free 7th annual Indy Juneteenth Celebration — goes down Saturday in Military Park.
- Musical performances by Kut Klose, Deaon Forever, Kenney Garmon, Remington Hill and more headline a festival that runs from 12-7pm.
- A kids zone, vendor area, wellness party and plenty of food are also on the lineup.
- The festival follows the Indy Juneteenth Parade that begins at 10am at Indiana and Blackford avenues. Marion County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey A. Gaither will serve as grand marshal.
Yes, but: That is just one option for celebrating Juneteenth downtown this weekend.
- At 10am, the Indiana State Museum will host its "History, Health, and the Arts" Juneteenth celebration. The free event will feature hands-on art activities, discussions with curators, food trucks and live artist performances.
- At 11am, Eiteljorg Museum will host the Juneteenth and Jazz Community Celebration. The Cassius Goens Quartet and the Rob Dixon Quartet led an entertainment lineup that also includes poetry readings, storytelling and art-making activities.