The federal holiday of Juneteenth (June 19) commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This year, you’ll find events across New Jersey celebrating the nation’s advances toward freedom and reflecting on the work left to do.
Note: with rain forecasted this weekend, some event details may change. Check links for the latest updates.
Atlantic County
Black Excellence Festival
June 17, noon – June 19, 1 p.m.
Showboat Hotel, Atlantic City
Featuring educational seminars and workshops, panel discussions, shopping, entertainment.
Bergen County
Juneteenth Celebration
June 19, noon – 9 p.m.
American Dream Outdoor Event Space, East Rutherford
Live music, DJs, games, Black-owned businesses, special guests, activities, and more.
Photo courtesy of Evasham Township
Burlington County
Evesham Township’s Juneteenth
June 17, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Savich Field, 510 E. Main St., Marlton
Story Walk showcasing local Black history, vendors, kids activities, poetry selections, DJ, barbecue and Caribbean food vendors, West Powelton Steppers & Drum Squad.
Juneteenth Festival at Millcreek Park
June 17, noon – 4 p.m.
Mill Creek Park, 300 Beverly Rancocas Road, Willingboro
Cultural celebrations, live music, dance, song, food trucks and more.
“The observation of Juneteenth is important because it was a monumental moment in history. It is a moment to contemplate freedom. I am referring to from the past and freedom to move forward in a meaningful way. This is why this celebration extends beyond race or ethnicity. Over the course of a lifetime, everyone has experienced being freed from something. It could be freedom from poverty, addiction, depression, and the list goes on and on. This weekend, we want to give all of our attendees the opportunity to be surrounded by others (just like them- because we are more alike than different) who are embracing their liberty.
“Observing Juneteenth this weekend allows for reflection on how far we’ve come in our fight for equality and the realization that there are still greater mountains to climb together because together we rise,” said Eric Russell, executive director of CHAI Community Development Corp. and organizer of Burlington Freedom Day.
Photo courtesy of Burlington County
Burlington Freedom Day 2023: A Juneteenth Celebration!
June 17, 2 – 7 p.m.
Burlington Riverfront Promenade, Riverfront and High Street, Burlington City
Reenactments, museum walk, local entrepreneurs, live music, cultural dances, DJ, kids zone, and food trucks.
Juneteenth Event
June 17, noon – 3 p.m.
Laurel Acres Park, 1045 S. Church St., Mount Laurel
Local organizations, businesses, and vendors, food trucks, breweries, activities, and giveaways.
Photo courtesy of Perkins Center for the Arts
Moorestown Fourth Annual Juneteenth
June 17, 2 – 7 p.m.
Perkins Center for the Arts, 395 Kings Highway, Moorestown
Family-friendly day including music, dance and drumming, food, presentations, and Black-owned businesses. Now featuring StoryPad, a mobile hub for collecting and sharing stories.
Camden County
Juneteenth Independence Day Celebration
June 17, 2 – 8 p.m., Wiggins Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden
Music, vendors, food, dance and drum ensemble.
Juneteenth Parade & Festival
June 17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Croft Farm, 100 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill
Vendors, food trucks, kids area, petting zoo, health screenings, music, and more.
Cape May County
Juneteenth
June 17, 1 – 5 p.m.
719 Haven Ave., Ocean City
Vendors, bounce house, food trucks, speakers, comedy, storytellers, live music.
Essex County
Juneteenth Freedom Festival
June 24, 12 – 6 p.m.
Hillside School Grounds, 54 Orange Road, Montclair
Food trucks, vendor village, story corner, live music, pony rides, and much more.
Juneteenth at the Montclair Pre-K
June 19, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Montclair Community Pre-K, 49 Orange Road, Montclair
Food trucks, performances, history, culture and family fun.
Photo courtesy of City of Newark
Juneteenth around the Square
June 19, noon – 4 p.m.
Newark Washington Park
A community-centered cultural celebration with a partnership between the City of Newark, Newark City Park Foundation, The Newark Museum of Art, and Audible. Activities, performances, games, cookout from local restaurants, museum exhibits.
Gloucester County
Glassboro’s 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 17, 1 – 6 p.m., Glassboro Sports Complex, 230 Wilmer St., Glassboro
A day of community and unity. Live entertainment, poetry, dance, family activities, food, games, Black-owned business marketplace.
Photo courtesy of Jersey City
Hudson County
NAACP Bayonne Branch’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 17, noon – 5 p.m.
Di Domenico Park (16th Street), Bayonne
Live entertainment including music, comedy, poetry, and dance, vendors, food trucks, face painting, arts and crafts.
JC African Cultural Arts Juneteenth Family Festival
June 17, 1 – 7 p.m.
Berry Lane Park, 1000 Garfield Ave., Jersey City
“It’s a jubilee!” Info zone, food, fun, marketplace, music, dancers, and spoken word.
All About Us: Juneteenth Festival ’23
June 19, noon – 8 p.m.
Liberty State Park, Green Ring, Jersey City
A music festival celebrating the African-American community’s history and future. A safe and inclusive space featuring authentic black cuisine, craft drinks, and Black-owned businesses.
Mercer County
Juneteenth Black Business Expo
June 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Conference Center at RWJ Hamilton Center
3100 Quakerbridge Road, Hamilton
Shopping, food, live DJ, prizes, and giveaways. Free and open to the public.
Middlesex County
New Brunswick-wide Juneteenth Celebration: Parade & Festival
June 17
Parade starts at 11 a.m., George Street and Remsen Avenue
Festival at Recreation Park, noon – 4 p.m.
Live music and dance performances, spoken word, youth activities, food trucks and vendors, community groups showcase, celebrating 50 years of hip hop.
June 19, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Middlesex County Administration Building, New Brunswick
Flag raising and mural installation, including speakers, music, and dance performances.
Juneteenth Freedom Celebration
June 17, 5 – 8 p.m.
Metuchen Town Plaza
Spoken word, drumline, step dancers, spoken word, and more.
Monmouth County
Juneteenth Celebration
June 17, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Union AME Church, Allentown
There will be music, food, literature, poets, games, and activities for all ages. Juneteenth is a day of celebration and remembrance.
Photo courtesy of Asbury Park
3rd Annual Asbury Park/Neptune Juneteenth Celebration
June 17, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Midtowns Commons Parks with parade to Springwood Avenue Park, Asbury Park
Full day of entertainment including a community parade, a wide variety of musicians, youth rappers, dancers, games, a market featuring African American entrepreneurs, and educational resources.
Photo courtesy of Wesley Blackburn
Juneteenth Celebration
June 17, 1 – 4 p.m.
Bucky James Center, 231 Wilbur Ray Ave., Long Branch
Speakers, bouncy house, DJ, local businesses, poetry reading.
“Black soldiers have fought in every major war in this country, only to return home and be disrespected, lynched and treated inhumanely, simply because of the color of their skin. When will this country love Black people, in the way Black people have loved this country, as loyal Patriots? When we eradicate racist attitudes and ideologies that have kept us isolated from each other, for much too long. Enough! Juneteenth, like the 4th of July, allows for all Americans to come together to honor the past and to celebrate a new day, when we all can unite as one,” said Gilda Rogers, executive director of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation & Cultural Center and Red Bank Juneteenth organizer.
Photo courtesy of Josh Reed
Red Bank Juneteenth Celebration
June 18, 1 – 4 p.m.
Johnny Jazz Park, 270 Shrewsbury Ave., Red Bank
Parade, vendors, live music, speakers, kids corner. Featuring guest speaker Lawrence Hamm, longtime activist with the People’s Organization for Progress.
Photo courtesy of Morristown
Morris County
Sankofa’s Juneteenth Festival of Morris County
June 17, Noon – 5 p.m.
Morristown Green, 10 North Park Place, Morristown
Live music, vendors, children’s activities, drum and dance ensemble, steppers, health and career information.
Juneteenth Celebration
June 24, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Denville Public Library, 121 Diamond Spring Road, Denville
Arts, crafts, stories, food, and a special performance by Neighborhood House Unity Steppers.
Passaic County
Paterson Juneteenth Celebration
June 18, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Eastside Park, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Paterson
A day of enterprise and creating infrastructure. Speakers, music, honoring central figures in the community, voter registration logistics.
Photo courtesy of Stoutsburg Sourland African Museumn
Somerset County
Juneteenth Celebration: Freedom Forward
June 17, noon 4 p.m.
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, Skillman
Family-friendly event featuring music, an original play, poetry, a stone mosaic workshop, a family tree heritage workshop, museum activities, and classic African American barbecue at a National Historic-Registered church.
Sussex County
3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 19, 2 – 6 p.m.
Memory Park, 111 Moran St., Newton
Speakers, vendors, performances, and family fun.
Photo courtesy of Township of Union
Union County
3rd Annual Juneteenth Festival
June 17, noon – 6 p.m.
Rabkin Park, 1 Swanstrom Place East, Union
An all-day event for the entire family. Local acts, arts and crafts activities, story time hour, bubble art.
Summit’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Event
June 17, 2 – 7 p.m.
Village Green, 356 Broad St., Summit
Cultural performances, dance party, presentations, food trucks, nonprofit displays, activities, games, and more.
Honoring Our Ancestors Juneteenth Celebration
June 18, 1 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Park, Elizabeth
Parade, monument unveiling ceremony for the 313-plus Ancestors Speak Project, and community celebration featuring food, music, kids activities, and more.
“Juneteenth is a Celebration of Freedom because we are commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and stepping into a new era where now all things are possible. This isn’t just a day to play fun games or eat. It’s a day to remember the struggle and the sacrifice of those that came before us. It’s a time for remembrance, to look back on how far we have come and to realize that the best is yet to come,” Eric Stanley, organizer of Linden Juneteenth
Photo courtesy of City of Linden
A Juneteenth Celebration: The Cookout
June 17, noon – 4 p.m.
Raymond Wood Bauer Promenade, 400 North Wood Ave. Linden
An event designed to bring the Linden community and schools together. Local business spotlights, local cuisine, singing, dancing, and spoken word.
Warren County
Juneteenth: A Cultural Celebration
June 17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Kidz RPeople 2 Spa & Lounge, 47 E Washington Ave., Washington
Live jazz band, history and culture, local Black-owned small businesses displaying art, books, jewelry, hair braiding and so much more.