Former home of Fat Daddy’s reduced to rubble
Scraps are separated from piles of rubble at the former location of Fat Daddy’s on East Market Street in Springettsbury Township, shown Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Celebrations are planned across central Pennsylvania for Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slaves at the end of the Civil War.
The festivities will begin in York County with the block party on Juneteenth at Union Lutheran and a celebration at WellSpan Park. Harrisburg, meanwhile, will have its first-ever Juneteenth parade on June 14, followed by several local events.
The holiday’s origins date to an order issued June 19, 1865, as Union troops arrived in Texas that declared that all enslaved people in the state were free and had “absolute equality.”
Although President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states in 1863, it could not be enforced in many places in the South. Even when the war ended, some white people who had profited from their unpaid labor were reluctant to share the news.
For generations, Black Americans recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday.
Here is a list of upcoming events and activities:
The York Revolution will celebrate Juneteenth during a game at WellSpan Park on June 19. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. There will be a magic bus parade and a pre-game speech by The Rev. D. Marie Tribble. There will also be a musical performance, vendors and educational displays.
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The Cultural Alliance and Union Lutheran are remaining up for a Juneteenth Block Party, which is free admission, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 19 at 408 W. Market St. There will be free food, music, clothing, a bounce house and games outside the church.
York City’s Parks and Recreation Bureau is throwing a city-wide Juneteenth celebration from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on June 21 at Campus Park. All are invited to the family-friendly event where there will be historical information, free food, vendors, bounce houses, community resources and performances.
Keystone Kidspace and Ky the Chemist will celebrate Juneteenth from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 22 at 10 East Hamilton Ave, York. Ky will conduct a STEAM Sneaker art workshop, which is open to all ages but anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, at noon that day. Supplies are limited and will be available for 100 people. Doors will close at 12:15 p.m. for the workshop.
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Crispus Attucks Community Center Lancaster will have its 4th annual Juneteenth Cultural Mixer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 22 at 407 Howard Avenue, Lancaster. It is a free event that will have food, drink, history, live entertainment and community fellowship.
Many other celebrations are planned across the region.
Lancaster’s Juneteenth Celebration is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19 at Sixth Ward Park, 680 E Ross St, Lancaster. The Spice of Life Foundation and The African Cultural Alliance arranged for food, music entertainment and activities for all ages at the event.
Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will celebrate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19 and is offering half-price admission. There will be historical reenactments, live gospel choirs, vendors and food trucks. African American-owned businesses and traditional cuisine will be spotlighted.
The Young Professionals of Color Greater Harrisburg has events set up from the parade on June 14 to a concert at 7 p.m. on June 21. The first-ever Juneteenth parade starts at noon on June 14 at the Capitol Heights Downtown. The events will have art and history, Black-owned Food and vendors, community events, panels and more. For more events and ticket pricing, check out http://ypoc-hbg.org/.
Baltimore will have a Juneteenth celebration of African-American music, culture and arts from noon to 9 p.m. on June 21 and 22.
In Gettysburg, there will be festivities starting at 11:45 a.m. June 21 at United Lutheran Seminary behind 15 Seminary Ridge. There will be presentations that highlight local Black historical figures. Food trucks, social groups and more will also be there, along with a walking tour of Black Historic sites in Gettysburg.
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