Juneteenth is June 19 and festivities in Montgomery County are scheduled to begin Saturday to commemorate the annual holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. The county is home to a rich tapestry of Black history, including portions of the Underground Railroad, and many communities are hosting festivals, performances, presentations and more to celebrate.
Kensington Juneteenth Celebration
Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday
St. Paul Park, 10564 Saint Paul St., Kensington
The town will host its fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration at St. Paul Park on Saturday. The family-friendly event will feature dance and music performances, food and dessert trucks, a beer and beverage garden and various activities. There will also be a food drive at the event. The organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival
Saturday to June 19
Various locations in Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville
The Scotland neighborhood, a historically Black community in Potomac, will host its third annual Juneteenth Heritage Festival from Saturday to June 19. There will be music performances, an interfaith brunch and sports clinics throughout the week leading to the main festivities on June 19. That day’s activities include a 5K run at 8 a.m. through the Scotland neighborhood and a family carnival at Cabin John Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Carnival tickets are $5 and available online.
Juneteenth Black Business Expo
2 to 8 p.m. Sunday
Veterans Plaza, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring
Extraordinary Investment Group, founded in 2020 to improve financial literacy and growth in the Black community, is hosting a free event Sunday at Veterans Plaza to showcase more than 50 Black-owned businesses in the community, including fashion designers, food and beverage creators, wellness practitioners and hairstylists. There will be live music and entertainment as well as food trucks.
Missing History: Rockville’s Middle Lane Community
Noon to 1 p.m. June 18
The Historic Red Brick Courthouse, 29 Courthouse Square, Rockville
Peerless Rockville, a nonprofit organization working to preserve the city’s diverse history, will hold a presentation and walking tour starting at The Historic Red Brick Courthouse on Wednesday. Following emancipation in 1864, many freedmen established a community near downtown Rockville and their descendants lived there too. The tour will help attendees explore this history, including some of the vanished Black landmarks, businesses and homes.
Juneteenth Opening at Josiah Henson Museum & Park
10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. June 19
Josiah Henson Museum & Park, 11410 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda
The Josiah Henson Museum and Park, which is typically only open Fridays through Sundays, will be open June 19 to celebrate Juneteenth. There will be self-guided tours and hands-on activities for families to learn the story of the Rev. Josiah Henson, who traveled along the Underground Railroad, freeing more than 100 enslaved people. Tickets cost $5, $4 for children and seniors and are available on-site.
Juneteenth at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 19
Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring
The Woodlawn Museum, which is usually only open Fridays through Sundays, will be open June 19 for Juneteenth. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the Underground Railroad Experience Trail in the park. Tickets to attend cost $5, $4 for children, free for age 5 and younger and can be purchased at the visitor center the day of the event.
NEA Big Read: The Real Juneteenth
1 to 2:30 p.m. June 19
Olive Branch Community Church, 416 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring
Historian Reynauld Smith, a member of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum executive board, will give a presentation on the history of Juneteenth at the Olive Branch Community Church on June 19. Smith will also discuss how his family fits into the original historic events and the holiday. This event is part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program. Tickets are free and available online.
I Rise: A Juneteenth Craft Event
1 and 4 p.m. June 19
The Green Room, 7000 Carroll Ave., Suite 200D, Takoma Park
The Green Room, a creative space in Takoma Park that holds art classes and community activities, will hold a Juneteenth craft event. Attendees will craft mosaic frames using glass tiles that can hold a small clay planter or propagation tube, which will symbolize “growth, change, and the beauty of starting from seed.” Tickets are $30 and materials are provided.
Juneteenth Celebration at Olney Theatre
4:30 to 7 p.m. June 19
Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Olney
The Olney Theatre Center will hold a free performance from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. by Kanysha Williams , that will celebrate “the rich, genre-defining legacy of Black music from 1930 to 2020.” Afterward, attendees can enjoy local vendors and food trucks. No RSVP needed.
Juneteenth: Freedom at the Rock
Noon to 10 p.m. June 21
BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown
The BlackRock Center for the Arts will host a free event along with the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights on the Saturday after Juneteenth. The celebration will feature live concerts and performances on multiple stages, workshops, an artisans market, local food vendors, speeches and presentations.
