While this year’s Juneteenth will look a little different than previous years, with the Indy Juneteenth parade being cancelled due to being unable to secure a location, there’s still plenty to look forward to.

Expect markets, concerts, poetry, food festivals, boxing, pageants and storytelling events.

Juneteenth has been a part of American history since 1865, when it was celebrated on June 19 as the official end of slavery in our country. While slavery was abolished in 1863, over 250,000 Black Americans were still enslaved in Texas until June 19, 1865, when they were finally emancipated.

A child holds a coloring sheet at the Children’s Museum’s Juneteenth Jamboree.
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A child holds a coloring sheet at the Children’s Museum’s Juneteenth Jamboree. Credit: Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

🗓️ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 7
📍 Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St.
🎟️ Free

Take your little ones to the Children’s Museum for an early introduction into what Juneteenth is all about. They’ll meet local artists, performers and members from community organizations, while getting to experience the museum.

🗓️ Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14
📍 Indy’s Global Village at International Marketplace, 4233 Lafayette Road
🎟️ Free

Interested in learning more about the history of Juneteenth? Indianapolis’ Global Village Welcome Center will walk you through a timeline of events, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade during the 16th to the 19th centuries to the Black Lives Matters movements a few years ago.

🗓️ 6 p.m. (with cocktail hour 5-6 p.m.) Saturday, June 7
📍 The Athenaeum’s Basile Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St.
🎟️ $20

Cheer on a contestant and support Indy Juneteenth at an evening celebrating Black beauty, Black brilliance and Black tradition in a way that uplifts the voices and stories of young women in Indy.

Indy Juneteenth College and Career Innovation Conference pairs young students with mentors.
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Indy Juneteenth College and Career Innovation Conference pairs young students with mentors. Credit: Indy Juneteenth

🗓️ 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12
📍 Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St.
🎟️ Free

Whether your dream is helping to manage the Pacers or pursuing a degree at Marian University, this is the place and time to get started. The event pairs students with mentors — businesses, universities, entrepreneurs and even investors. The event also features a guest speaker and food.

Juneteenth Foodways Festival participating restaurants and caterers will offer menu items that speak to the cultural heritage and contributions of Black foodways on American culture.
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Juneteenth Foodways Festival participating restaurants and caterers will offer menu items that speak to the cultural heritage and contributions of Black foodways on American culture. Credit: The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

🗓️ 4:30-8 p.m. Friday, June 13
📍 Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 N. Delaware St.
🎟️ Free

The Juneteenth Foodways Festival is back for a fourth year, celebrating the legacy of the White House’s first Black chef and caterer, Dolly Johnson of Lexington, Ky., and featuring over 20 vendors.

Whether you’re craving a bit of Sweet Heat or hoping to cool off with a sip of iced tea from Tea’s Me Cafe or a scoop of your favorite flavor from LiftOff Creamery, it’s got it all.

🗓️ 3-7 p.m. Saturday, June 14
📍 Speedway Events Center, 2608 Founders Square Drive
🎟️ $20 with other ticket options

Twenty matches will take place, featuring fighters from all across the Midwest — a display of skill, strength and discipline.

The Eiteljorg Museum celebrates Juneteenth with jazz music every year.
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The Eiteljorg Museum celebrates Juneteenth with jazz music every year. Credit: Eiteljorg Museum

🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 15
📍 Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St.
🎟️ Free

Hear a poetry reading by award-winning author and educator Shonda Buchanan, bop to the beat of the SITEAW Drum Circle and enjoy storytelling by jus Will.

🗓️ 8 a.m. Thursday, June 19
📍 Colts Canal Playspace, 701 Canal Walk
🎟️ $30 to register, $50 with a T-shirt

Walk along the Canal for Black Rights at the Juneteenth 5K. Proceeds from the event will fund a scholarship to help a first-year Black male educator furnish and equip his classroom with supplies for next school year.

🗓️ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 19
📍Ujamaa Community Bookstore, 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
🎟️ Free

Celebrate Black food, literature, music and art — all in the spirit of Ujamaa’s aim to uplift Black authors while sharing the stories, struggles and successes of the African diaspora.

G. Encarnacion for Mirror Indy
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Moments from the Indy Juneteenth parade and festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Indianapolis. The parade began on Indiana Avenue and Blackford Avenue, and the festival was held at Military Park.

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Moments from the Indy Juneteenth parade and festival on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Indianapolis. The parade began on Indiana Avenue and Blackford Avenue, and the festival was held at Military Park.

🗓️ Noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 21
📍 Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St., south lot
🎟️ Free

A month of events culminate in the city’s largest Juneteenth celebration with a wellness circle, a sip and paint event, over 30 food vendors and over 100 small business vendors. The celebration will be packed with live performances and awards.

Related

48 things to do in June in Indianapolis

The city is overflowing with free and exciting things to do just in time for summer. I’m talking festivals galore and tons of ways to celebrate national holidays and observances like Pride Month and Juneteenth. Become a plant parent or add to your growing collection at Plant Stop, Won’t Stop June 1 in Broad Ripple…

Lavanya Narayanan is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach her at lavanya24narayanan@gmail.com.

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