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  • Multiple Juneteenth events are planned in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, from June 17-22.
  • Events include a celebration at Shippensburg University, a ceremony at Halfway African American Cemetery, and a masquerade ball at the Cortland Mansion.
  • The Doleman Black Heritage Museum is hosting several events, including a praise and worship service, a Celebration of Survival, and a new exhibit unveiling.

Juneteenth — a federal holiday commemorating the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, which marked the end of slavery in the United States — is just around the corner.

Here’s an official guide to this year’s Juneteenth festivities taking place in the Tri-State area.

Shippensburg Juneteenth celebration

A Juneteenth celebration will be held from noon to 2 p.m. June 17 at the Shippensburg University Student Recreation Hockey Rink. The celebration is free and open to the public.

It is described as Freedom Day to “celebrate the influences of Latino/Hispanic, African and Caribbean culture – our roots run deep!”

The celebration will feature exhibits and activities, including a photo booth; performances by Ten Karat Gold Productions and Proverbs Reggae Band; SU graduates DJ Mikah Hudson-Walker and artist Bryan Hickman; and soul, Latino, Caribbean and African food.

It is sponsored by the office of multicultural student affairs; the office of inclusion, belonging and social equity; office of the president; and the provost office.

For more information, visit ship.edu/msa or email msa@ship.edu.

Juneteenth Ceremony and Park Bench Dedication at Halfway African American Cemetery

Washington County government invites the public to a Juneteenth celebration at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the Halfway African American Cemetery at 11027 Clinton Ave.

A new park bench will be dedicated in honor of those laid to rest at the cemetery. The bench also is a tribute to the valor and service of the 14 African American Civil War veterans and the World War I veteran buried at the cemetery.

Masquerade Ball with a Cotton Club Twist in honor of Juneteenth

The Friends of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum are hosting a Masquerade Ball with a Cotton Club Twist from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the Cortland Mansion in Hagerstown’s North End.

The event is a fundraiser for the museum. The current museum is in Room 210 at 33-35 W. Washington St. in downtown Hagerstown. There are plans for a new museum to be built by the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Charles Street.

Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased through the museum’s website.

According to museum Project Director Alesia Parson McBean, the event will honor:

  • Doleman Black Heritage Museum President Phoebe Harris, who is celebrating her 60th birthday
  • 2025 Community Achievement Award Honorees David A. Washington with the Washington County Health Department; Dr. Ever Ponciano with Primary Care Associates, and Carlton (MeMe) Davis with the U.S. Postal Service.
  • 2025 Outstanding Military Service Award Honoree Mark Mayo. Mayo, a Hagerstown resident and Williamsport High graduate, was a military policeman when he was killed on March 24, 2014, while coming to the aid of a sailor at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

The ball features live music reminiscent of Harlem’s historic Cotton Club, according to the museum’s website. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres, professional portraits, raffles and more.

Juneteenth Praise and Worship at Hagerstown’s Wheaton Park

The Doleman Black Heritage Museum is hosting a Praise and Worship event at Wheaton Park on Friday, June 20, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that could be extended to 9 p.m. if there is good turnout, said Parson McBean, the museum project director. Free admission. Wheaton Park is at 449 Sumans Ave. The City of Hagerstown is the main sponsor for this event.

The religious community is coming together to bless the park, the occasion and the future home of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum, which will be near the park. The event includes liturgical dancing.

The masters of ceremony will be Pastor Gladys Rogers from Milwaukee, Pastor Les McIntosh from Impact Ministries in Hagerstown and the Honorable Darryl Green with Eureka Lodge No. 5 in Washington, D.C.

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Celebration of Survival at Wheaton Park in Hagerstown

The Doleman Black Heritage Museum is hosting a Celebration of Survival at Wheaton Park from noon to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. Free admission. There will be a Believers Unity Walk starting at 11 a.m. that will begin and end at the 449 Sumans Ave. park, said Parson McBean, the museum project director. The walk through the Jonathan Street community will include praying and singing. The museum also is looking for chalk artists to do chalk art inspired by Juneteenth from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The best chalk artist will receive a plaque.

The noon kickoff will be done by Pastor John Royster with Ebenezer AME Church. The masters of ceremony will be Green and Michael Parsons, retired sociology professor and former dean of instruction at Hagerstown Community College.

From noon to 2 p.m. there will be community recitals and storytelling.

At 2 p.m., the inaugural memorial Turkey Bowl game will be played to honor the men who founded the Jonathan Street neighborhood Thanksgiving football game tradition that began in 1964. The bowl game will be run by Carlton (MeMe) Davis, whose father was one of the Turkey Bowl game’s founders, Parson McBean said. The game announcer will be Joe Jefferson.

Live music begins at 4 p.m., including performances by Joyful Soundz and jazz and line dancing, including the Boots on the Ground line dance.

There will be children’s activities and community outreach organizations at the event throughout the day. Activities include face painting and a game similar to a treasure hunt.

Children In Need, a local nonprofit, will be collecting new socks and underwear for children in Washington County, according to a Children in Need Facebook post. The nonprofit is collecting new boys and girls underwear for sizes 4T and up, and new socks of all sizes. Children in Need provides “essential clothing, personal care items, and educational supplies to all Washington County,” according to its Facebook profile. The nonprofit also will be providing hands-on activities for children at the event.

The City of Hagerstown is the main sponsor for the Saturday celebration.

Doleman Black Heritage Museum unveils new exhibit

The Doleman Black Heritage Museum will be unveiling a new exhibit during an event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. The museum is in Room 210 at 33-35 W. Washington St. in downtown Hagerstown.

The restored artifacts include 19th-century stained glass from Ebenezer AME Church and Second Christian Church, Parson McBean said. There also are supporting photos and documents from the two churches.

The main sponsors of this event are the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Parson McBean said.