Where to celebrate Juneteenth in Philadelphia
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Philadelphians are celebrating Juneteenth early with a full slate of festivals and events this weekend.
Why it matters: The holiday commemorates the ending of slavery by marking the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, after the end of the Civil War to let the last enslaved Black people know they were free under the Emancipation Proclamation — issued by President Lincoln more than two years earlier.
Driving the news: Sunday's Juneteenth Parade and Festival, the city's largest event, will draw more than 25,000 to Malcolm X Park in West Philly.
What to expect: The parade kicks off at noon at S. Concourse Drive across from the Mann Center.
- More than 2,000 floats will proceed down the 1.5-mile-long route along 52nd Street.
Plus: The Juneteenth marketplace, featuring more than 250 vendors, runs from 10am-8pm.
- Check out the musical festival at 52nd and Larchmont from 3-7pm.
- Plus, a "Rolling Museum" of car enthusiasts will post up at 52nd and Spruce streets from 3-6pm.
What they're saying: "It's true freedom day — and that's what Juneteenth means to all of us as Americans," Gary Shepherd, who helped produce the parade and festival, tells Axios.
Local celebrations happening this weekend:
Juneteenth Festival in Germantown: Saturday noon-7pm on the 6300 block of Germantown Avenue.
- The daylong street festival features live music, a "Kidz Village" including a moon bounce and games; food, a marketplace and panel discussions.
The Juneteenth Wine & Arts Festival at Cherry Street Pier from 1-6pm Saturday offers a family friendly atmosphere on the waterfront with vendors, art exhibitions and Black-owned wineries.
- Tickets: Free to enter; $20-$75 for wine tasting.
The Juneteenth Jubilee at Bartram's Garden in West Philly runs from 11am-4pm Sunday.
- Count on free activities, live performances, storytelling, vendors and lawn games.
This story has been updated to clarify what happened on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, and its significance to the ending of slavery in the United States.