There are Juneteenth celebrations happening all over Eastern North Carolina.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, celebrating June 19th, 1865, when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
In New Bern, you can join the MAAFA Barbecue at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Union Point Park. You can also head to the Tryon Palace History Center for a photo exhibit and an African American lecture series starting at 7 p.m.
In Jacksonville, you can attend the Juneteenth Freedom Festival at Riverwalk Park. It’s happening from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
In downtown Greenville, there’s a Juneteenth Jamboree at the Greenville Town Common on Saturday, June 22, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can enjoy live music, food trucks, African American cultural trail tours, a bounce house, fireworks, and more.