Juneteenth 2022: Fun Activities and Events Around NYC
Juneteenth 2022 is celebrated on June 19th and is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery. Families all over the world celebrate this important holiday through gatherings, picnics, as well as educational events to learn about the struggles African Americans have had to endure. Here in NYC, there are many events and activities happening throughout the month where kids and their families can learn about the history of this holiday while also celebrating!
This month is also Pride month! If you are looking to celebrate, take a look at Pride Month 2022: Family-Friendly Events and Activities Around NYC
Manhattan
Sou Sou! Saturdays: Honoring the Spirit of Juneteenth
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, 120 E 125th St., Harlem
June 4, 1-5pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Commemorate Juneteenth and the spirit of those ancestors who longed for and learned of their freedom on June 19, 1985. The Sou Sou! family programming will honor not only Black Liberation but also Black Futures! Families with children of all ages will engage the mobile bookstore, Bronx Bound Books, and its curated selection of books by Black and Brown authors. Families will also experience Liberation through Movement, a dance workshop led by VashtiDance Theatre, and learn the fundamentals of creating ancestral instruments like the rain stick with teaching artist Sandra Bell. Honor the past, present, and thriving futures of our African Diaspora.
(Be)Tween Time – Juneteenth
Urban Farm, Wards Meadow Loop, Randall’s Island
June 18, 1-2pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Meet and hang out with other tweens at the Randall’s Island Urban Farm in celebration of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Skyscraper Yoga
The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place, Battery Park City
June 18, 10:30am-12pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Get ready to move and have fun while exploring how our own bodies help us understand skyscrapers! After a history lesson on the celebration of Juneteenth and how African-American culture has impacted this country, kids will learn why mindfulness is important and connect to their foundations to stretch to new heights in a 30-minute yoga session! They will have a chance to create a yoga pose inspired by their favorite skyscrapers in the museum exhibits.
Juneteenth-Free Museum Admission!
Poster House, 119 W. 23rd Street, Chelsea
June 19, 10am-6pm
Free
In celebration of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, Poster House is pleased to offer free admission to the museum on Sunday, June 19.
Brooklyn
13th Annual Juneteenth NY 2022 Festival
June 17, 9am-6pm, online
June 18, 10am-6pm, Linden Park on Linden Blvd. & Vermont St. in East New York
June 19, 10am-6pm, Prospect Park at the Main Entrance – Lafayette Memorial – Prospect Park W & 9th Street
Free
This three day festival kicks off Friday with online programming and continues in person throughout the rest of the weekend with performances from local talent, a wide range of vendors, a diverse selection of local, Black-owned restaurants, basketball clinics with The Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty, a fashion exhibition highlighting today’s hottest emerging Black designers and special guest musical performances from award-winning hit singer-songwriter and founding member of R&B duo Zhane, Renée Neufville and more.
Farmhouse Family Day: Juneteenth with the Community Legacy Project
Wyckoff House Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road, Canarsie
June 18, 11am-3pm
Free
In celebration of Juneteenth, CLP x WHM highlights over 400 years of local Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) centered narratives – starting in the 17th century at the Wyckoff House Museum. CLP x WHM participants will have the opportunity to work on arts as advocacy creative expression projects; in solidarity to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable future for ALL people.
KowTeff’s 12th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Bedford Stuyvesant
June 18, 12-8pm
Free
This outdoor celebration is a full day of empowerment, fun, “edutainment”, health, cultural activities, music and movement for adults and children! Entertainment will include live music, dance, spoken word, and much more! The Children’s Zone will offer kid-friendly entertainment and activities, including arts and crafts and a children’s West African dance class, face painting, and balloon art. The celebration will close out with the event’s signature House Music and Dance Celebration, featuring DJ Juwandi and an amazing outdoor block party vibe.
Honoring Juneteenth
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights
June 19, 12-6pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Honor Juneteenth—the annual holiday commemorating the end of legal slavery in the United States—with a full day of activities celebrating self-expression, community, and Black liberation and creativity. Taking place on Father’s Day, this year’s event will feature activities for the whole family.
Juneteenth UNITYFEST 2022
Lena Horne Bandshell , 9th Street & Prospect Park West, South Slope
June 19, 7:30pm
Free
Juneteenth UNITYFEST is a multi-artist celebration aimed at uniting people of all backgrounds and amplifying the many narratives of the Black experience in America through storytelling and music.
Celebrate Juneteenth
Shirley Chisholm Circle in Brower Park
Kingston Avenue &. Prospect Pl., Crown Heights
June 19, 11am-5pm
Free
Celebrate this historic date of emancipation through song, interactive storytelling, and community fun.
Queens
Juneteenth Drum Circle And Craft
Queens Library: Woodhaven, 85-41 Forest Parkway, Woodhaven
June 14, 4-5pm
Free
Get ready to celebrate Juneteenth with a drum circle and craft!
The Princess and the Frog
Museum of the Moving Image , 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria
June 17-19, Friday, 2:30pm; Sunday, 1pm and 3pm
Included with admission: $15; $11 seniors 65 and older and students over 18; $9 ages 3-17.
Celebrate Juneteenth with a weekend of activities that celebrate Black American heritage, including screenings of the 2009 Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog, which features the first African American Disney princess, Tiana, in a modern retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tale The Frog Prince.
Juneteenth Celebration
Lewis Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th St, Flushing
June 18, 2-4pm
Free
Take part in this joyous celebration of freedom and African-American culture!
Juneteenth Storytime
Queens Public Library- Richmond Hill, 118-14 Hillside Avenue, Richmond Hill
June 18, 11-11:30am
Free
What is Juneteenth and why is it celebrated across the United States? June 19th is the day that celebrates the freedom of slaves in the United States. Children and caregivers are welcomed to join this special storytime to learn more about Juneteenth through picture books.
André De Shields is Frederick Douglass: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd, Flushing
June 19, 2-8pm
$40; $30 members & seniors; $20 students; $10 children younger than 12
In commemoration of Juneteenth, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner and Hadestown star André De Shields performs an excerpt from his self-crafted solo work “Frederick Douglass: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory.” The one-man show explores the life and achievements of the great emancipator Frederick Douglass.
Bronx
2nd Annual Juneteenth Family Day
Pelham Bay Park, Middletown Road & Stadium Avenue, Bronx
June 19, 11am-4pm
Free
Celebrate Juneteenth by bringing together different cultures and generations to honor and learn about this historical day. Family friendly activities include: Arts & Crafts, Face Painting, Live Performances, Lil Poets Move Along, Celebrate Yourself Runway Walk, Yoga, Zumba and more.
Juneteenth Celebration! @ VCPA
Van Cortlandt Park, 242nd Street and Broadway, Bronx
June 20, 6-7:30pm
Free
Celebrate Juneteenth with performances, including music and spoken word. Then follow in a procession with drums to the Enslaved African Burial Ground for a libation ceremony, honoring the memory of the enslaved people.
Westchester
Juneteenth: Songs for Our Fathers
City of New Rochelle, Various Locations, New Rochelle
June 16-20, see website for schedule
Free
Celebrate Juneteenth at various events around New Rochelle that will include an African dance workshop, family activities, a Juneteenth flag raising, and more.
Sun River Health presents: Juneteenth: Access for All Celebration
Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, 1008 Brown St,. Peekskill
June 17, 7:30-10:30pm
Free, Advanced registration required
In addition to these incredible performers like Ray Blue, KJ Denhertl, Acute Inflections and Bria The Artist, the evening will highlight the role of the diverse and dynamic Founding Mothers of Sun River Health and their ongoing, mission-driven work on equality and health care justice.
Celebrate Juneteenth
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, 149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah
June 19, 3pm
Free
Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities, including a performance by Jeremiah Abiah, internationally acclaimed recording artist, vocal coach and songwriter.
Long Island
AdvoKids: Juneteenth
Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Avenue, Garden City
June 12, 1-3pm
Included with admission: $14; $13 ages 65 and older
During this program, visitors will be able to gain a better understanding of this holiday and create the Juneteenth Flag commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth Celebration
Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Sunrise Highway, Bohemia
June 18, 1-3pm
Free
Join the Preserve in celebration of Juneteenth! Stop by their table in front of the main house for some fun activities and crafts!
2nd Annual Juneteenth Cultural Festival
Hicksville LIRR – Parking Lot H16 & H17, 125 W. John Street, Hicksville
June 19, 12-5pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth with a line-up of various food vendor exhibitions, local Black vendors, live Deejay, African drumming, and performers.
Elmont’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration
The People Gatherer, 545 Elmont Road, Elmont
June 18, 4-9pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Celebrate rich black culture through food, fun, entertainment, live music, live performances and more! There will also be bouncy house, a game truck, Tik Tok recording mirror, double dutch, line dancing, free haircuts and so much more!
Rockland
Nyack African American Day Parade
Nyack Memorial Park, Piermont & Depew Avenues, Nyack
June 4, 12-4pm
Free
Community leaders, politicians, dignitaries, civic organizations, schools/colleges, non profit organizations and local marching bands will participate and walk in the 12th Annual Nyack African American Day Parade. The parade will begin at Nyack Memorial Park and travel up Depew Avenue then on to Franklin Street then on to Main Street then on to Broadway and will end at Nyack Memorial Park with a festival. The festival will include food trucks, jewelry and clothing vendors. African art, along with live music and musical performances throughout the afternoon. Bounce house, face painting and other activities will be available for the children.
Juneteenth Celebration
Teaneck Public Library, 840 Teaneck Road, Teaneck
June 17, 4-4:45pm
Free
Celebrate Juneteenth with a story, craft and snack.
Community Day: Juneteenth
The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington St., Newark
June 18, 12-5pm
Free, Advanced registration required
Juneteenth at the NMOA will be an outdoor festival inspired by Harriet Tubman featuring performers, artists, and dancers from the Black community across New Jersey. Be part of the creation of Newark’s Harriet Tubman Monument in Washington Park by decorating ceramic tiles with your stories of freedom and liberation. The tiles will later be fired and integrated into the final design of the Monument (limited availability). Jacari Harris, Executive Director of the George Floyd Foundation, will address the general progress of the black community and touch on topics of activism and equity. Take part in step workshops, arts and crafts, great food, local vendors, and a lot more!
ForTheCulture Juneteenth Fest
Memorial Park, Memorial Park Dr., Spring Valley
June 19, 11am-6pm
Free
Celebrate Juneteenth with entertainment from local talent, food & drinks, as well as games & activities for the entire family to enjoy.
Honoring Juneteenth
Durand-Hedden House & Garden, 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood
June 19, 1-5pm
Free, advanced registration required
The Durand-Hedden House will honor Juneteenth with an afternoon of fun and learning, including historical reenactors, musicians, children’s activities, food, and an exhibit on The History of Slavery in New Jersey.
