Celebrate Juneteenth in the Twin Cities this year with more than a dozen events that include free food, a carnival, educational opportunities and face painting, among other family-friendly activities.
Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, marks the anniversary of an 1865 order in Texas that freed slaves in the state at the end of the Civil War. The order came two years after President Abraham Lincoln ended slavery nationwide in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation. News of the emancipation was slow to reach Texas.
Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021, and is considered the longest-running African American holiday, when community members acknowledge and celebrate Black liberation and accomplishments.
Here are a list of Juneteenth events around the Twin Cities: