Corrections and clarifications: A previous version of this story misidentified one of the restaurants participating in The Walker Center’s block party and the Juneteenth Foodways Festival.
Juneteenth weekend is coming up and different organizations throughout the city are preparing their festivities with food, music and activities for the whole family.
Juneteenth is a Black cultural holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people on Jan. 1, 1863, but news of the proclamation did not reach Texas until 1865.
The first Juneteenth was celebrated there June 19 of that year.
Festivals, block parties, museum exhibitions and a parade will be taking place all over the city this weekend. Here’s what you need to know about some of the upcoming Juneteenth events:
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Walker Legacy Center’s Juneteenth brunch and block party
Indiana Avenue will be blocked off from Dr. MLK Jr. Street to Blackford Street June 18-19 for the Walker Legacy Center’s Juneteenth Block Party, said Kristian Stricklen, president of the Walker Legacy Center. The event will last from noon-5 p.m. and will include food, games and live music from artists such as Kelsie Marie, Alaina Renae and Too Black.
“It is a family-friendly activity,” Stricklen said. “We encourage everyone to come out to, you know, help us just to celebrate The Walker’s 95th anniversary.”
Food trucks such as Black Leaf Vegan, Gip Got Tips, Awesome Snowballs and Grub House, will be available for attendees as no outside food, alcohol or chairs will be permitted.
The center will not just be celebrating Juneteenth or the reopening of the center — after undergoing restorations — this year, as 2022 also marks the 95th year the Madam Walker Legacy Center building has been on Indiana Avenue.
The Walker Center’s Juneteenth celebrations will kick off Friday with the sold-out 95th Anniversary Legacy Celebration Gala, where Stricklen said Indianapolis’ own Kenneth Edmund, known professionally as “Babyface” will be inducted into the Walker Legacy Center’s Walk of Fame before performing a sold-out concert in the Walker Theatre.
Walker Legacy Center’s Juneteenth Brunch
Before the block party Sunday morning, the center will host a Juneteenth Brunch in partnership with The Block Bistro & Grill in the ballroom from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The brunch will include a buffet with fried boomerang, waffles, eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, cheese grits, fresh fruit and endless mimosas, according to the website.
Tickets for the Juneteenth Brunch start at $40 per person and can be purchased at bit.ly/3aWlP1D.
Juneteenth Foodways Festival
Kicking off Juneteenth weekend, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site will host the first annual Juneteenth Foodways Festival in honor of Laura “Dolly” Johnson, the first Black woman to become head chef in the White House. The event is free to the public and will take place June 17 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in downtown Indianapolis.
The event will place a special emphasis on Black-owned businesses with more than 20 local restaurants, food vendors and caterers, such as Gip Got Tips, Taste of Luv by Dee, Black Lemon and more.
Flanner House Juneteenth Celebration
In addition to Juneteenth, the Flanner House of Indianapolis will be celebrating the third anniversary of Cleo’s Bodega and Cafe and the first anniversary of Black-owned bookstore Ujamaa Community Bookstore on June 19.
The free celebration will take place from noon to 5 p.m., and include more than 50 local Black business vendors to shop from, food trucks, live music and family-friendly games and activities such as mini-golf, according to a news release.
Norwood History Lesson
In honor of Juneteenth, the Norwood Community Archives will host its first event June 18. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Norwood — a free Black City in Indianapolis — the event will take place in Pride Park from 2 to 5 p.m., and is free to attend, however, attendees must register at bit.ly/3xxwwiT.
Second Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration
Presented by Midtown Indy, Indy Parks, MLK Center and more, a Juneteenth Celebration will be held in Tarkington Park June 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The celebration will include food vendors such as Tea’s Me Café, Real Brothas, and Food Firm Food Truck as well as a youth basketball clinic, Versiti blood drive and live performances from Ronnie Stone and Epiphany Dance Ensemble, Portia Jackson and Corey Ewing, according to a news release.
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Indy Juneteenth Parade
The 5th annual Indy Juneteenth Festival will kick off with a parade down Indiana Avenue, Blackford and Wabash streets at 10 a.m. June 18.
The parade will feature approximately 45 different local groups, organizations and floats such as Miss Juneteenth, Black Leaf Vegan and Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore, in addition to several local dance groups and Black fraternities, James Webb, co-founder and executive director of Indy Juneteenth, said.
Indy Juneteenth Festival
The Indy Juneteenth festival will take place from noon-6 p.m. at Celebration Plaza in White River State Park following the parade. The festival will include live music and performances from Alaina Renae, Native Son and more, as well as food trucks such as Royal Sno, Sub Zero and Tasty Tay’s BBQ, Webb said.
Webb said the festival will also feature a double dutch competition and a chess tournament in addition to bouncy houses and a 50-foot obstacle course for children. Attendees will also have access to a wellness village featuring classes on yoga, cycling and hip-hop aerobics as well as education stations providing information on mental health, organ donation and Juneteenth history, he said.
The festival is free, however, Webb said attendees are encouraged to register at indyjuneteenth.com.
Greek Step and Firework Show
Indy Juneteenth’s firework show will take place June 19 at the Midwest Sports Complex located at 7509 New Augusta Rd, in Indianapolis from 6-9:30 p.m., Webb said. The event is also free and will include food, vendors and a step show, he said.
Biketeenth
BikeTeenth Indy — presented in partnership with Bike Indianapolis, Be Nimble, Co. and the Major Taylor Association, Inc. — will host its third annual bike tour June 19 at 11 a.m. The health initiative, which aims to unify the Black community, is a 7 ½-mile bike tour around the city beginning at Monument Circle and ending at the Madam C.J. Walker building, according to a news release.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own bike, however, bikes will be available to check out from the Indiana Pacers Bikeshare station on Monument Circle, according to a news release. The event is family-friendly and open to cyclists of all ages. Registration for Biketeenth is $35 and is available at biketeenthindy.com.
Major Taylor Festival
The Indiana State Museum’s Major Taylor Festival aims to celebrate the life and legacy of Black cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor. The festival will take place June 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and include activities for children and families to enjoy on the front lawn and inside the museum, Stephanie Kazmierzak, public programs manager and sub-organizer for the event said.
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Kazmierzak said the Major Taylor Festival will include performances from Asante Art Institute’s Prep4Life Program and Epiphany Dance Collective, Garnacha Spot and Robin Hood BBQ food trucks, hands-on bike safety activities and admission to the museum’s new Major Taylor exhibit. For more information and a list of the day’s schedule, visit indianamuseum.org.
Juneteenth & Jazz: Celebrating Freedom
The Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western Art will host its annual Juneteenth Community Celebration Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free to attend and will include live music from artists such as the Freetown Village Singers, the Lewis Storytellers and the Rob Dixon Quartet, live poetry readings and art activities such as collage making and painting pour-overs, according to a news release.
The event will take place outside in White River State Park under the sails — weather permitting. Admission to the museum is also free June 18. For more information on the event and a list of the day’s schedule, visit eiteljorg.org.
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact IndyStar reporter Chloe McGowan at 740-739-1090 or CWilkersonMcGowan@gannett.com. Follow her Twitter: @chloe_mcgowanxx.
