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Communities across the U.S. and in the Bucks County area are preparing to celebrate the nation’s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, which recognizes the end of slavery in the U.S. 

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the country’s last slaves were freed after the Civil War. 

President Abraham Lincoln freed enslaved people in Confederate states by signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Lincoln signed the Thirteenth Amendment, which freed all enslaved people in the U.S., in February 1865.

However, not all enslaved people were freed. More than 250,000 people remained enslaved in Texas until June 19, 1865, when 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved people were free by executive decree. 

The newly freed Texans started celebrating the anniversary of their freedom on Juneteenth in 1866. The first Juneteenth celebrations included political rallies to teach freed Black people about their voting rights, and later included picnics, family reunions, dramatic readings, blues festivals and ball games.

Over the last 159 years, the holiday has grown beyond Texas, becoming simultaneously a celebration of Black joy and progress and an opportunity to recognize the enduring impacts of slavery, racism and oppression. 

President Joe Biden designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021.

There are several Juneteenth events across Bucks and Montgomery County that strive to reflect on the nation’s history and uplift the Black community. Here’s how you can get involved:

Juneteenth Tours at the Peter Wentz Farmstead, Lansdale

The Peter Wentz Farmstead, a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, will present special tours focused on the people enslaved by the Wentz family and how their stories relate to the history of slavery in Pennsylvania. The tours are free, but registration is required. The tours are suggested for those aged 13 and older. 

  • When: Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to  3:30 p.m. (last tour starts at 3 p.m.)
  • Where: Peter Wentz Farmstead, 2030 Shearer Road in Lansdale (east of the intersection of Routes 73 & 363)
  • More info: https://www.montgomerycountypa.gov/calendar

5th Annual Lower Bucks Juneteenth Celebration, Bristol

This free event overlooking the Delaware River includes vendors, community resources, food, children’s activities and live music and performances, as a celebration of freedom, culture, Black empowerment, and economic advancement.

4th Annual Juneteenth at the Mercer Museum

This free outdoor event, organized by the African Diaspora Collective of Bucks County, Gather Place and the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, will feature speakers, reenactments, food trucks, a DJ, choir and praise dancers, vendors, artisans and family-friendly crafts and activities.

  • When: Saturday, June 14 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Where: Mercer Museum Historic Quad, 84 S. Pine St., Doylestown
  • More info: mercermuseum.org/juneteenth

6th Annual Juneteenth Cometh, Hatfield

The Black Business Association, which serves The North Penn School District Area, is hosting its 6th annual Juneteenth celebration with music, food, games, crafts and more.

Juneteenth Jubilee Street Festival, Norristown

This annual street festival celebrates heritage and community with live entertainment, music, vendors, food, drink, art show, a living history reenactment and a kids zone with carnival games and zoo animals.

  • When: Thursday, June 19 from noon to 6 p.m.
  • Where: Dekalb and Main streets in Norristown
  • More info: norristown.org/calendar

Book Talk and Lunch, Bristol

Join the African American Museum of Bucks County for a conversation with authors Pat Mervine and Joe Coleman, who will discuss their book, “Slavery, Friends, and Freedom in Bucks County.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and all proceeds will go to the African American Museum of Bucks County. It costs $30 to attend.