Juneteenth in Oneida County: A List of Events

UTICA, N.Y. — After the Civil War concluded and two years following the Emancipation Proclamation, the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, discovered that they had been freed.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates June 19, 1865.

Local organizations throughout the Mohawk Valley have events scheduled for the federal holiday established in 2021, designating June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day to mark the end of slavery in the U.S.

Here is a schedule of the events.

Table of Contents

Thursday, June 19:

Oral histories, local archives and a portrait project honoring Utica’s Black past and future will take place from noon until 3 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Temple, 110 Washington St. in Utica. “Back 2 Bricks” is organized by the Mid-Utica Neighborhood Preservation Corporation.

Juneteenth at Hanna Park, located at City Hall, will take place from noon until 4 p.m. There will be inspirational speakers, music, local talent performances and food trucks. The event is organized by For the Good.

Munson Museum of Art will be honoring Black art, culture and community on from 5 to 7 p.m.

Friday, June 20:

Soul Food Fish Fry takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Baptist Church, located at 219 Leah St. in Utica. Presale tickets are $17; call 315-941–0837 for tickets.

There will be a gospel choir concert at St. Paul’s from 6 to 8 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $5.

In Rome, there will be a movie night with first responders on at Franklyn’s Field at 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 21:

The ninth annual Juneteenth Festival will take place at Utica’s Kemble Park, 102 James St., from noon to 8 p.m. There will be over 30 vendors and community organizations there, along with music, kid’s games and stories from the community.

Bellamy Harbor Park will be the site of the City of Rome’s Juneteenth Celebration from noon until 5 p.m.

For more about MUNPC and Juneteenth events, click here.

For more about the Juneteenth holiday, click on the linked stories below.

A Guide to What the Juneteenth Holiday Is and How to Celebrate It

It was 160 years ago that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — after the Civil War’s end and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.