The best Juneteenth events in NYC for 2025

It's time to celebrate Juneteenth 2025!

Juneteenth has been celebrated by Black Americans since the late 1800s, but in 2020, the holiday garnered renewed attention as Black Lives Matter demonstrators called (and still call) for meaningful policy changes following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.

NYC and New York recently made Juneteenth an official holiday, and it's now a federal holiday also. 

When is Juneteenth?

June 19 is on a Thursday this year. Some celebrations take place on the actual holiday, while others take place in the weeks before and after.

What is Juneteenth and why is it celebrated?

Juneteenth is the celebration and commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers brought news to Galveston, Texas that the war was over and enslaved people were free (this was two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.) The celebration was coined "Juneteenth" and became a time for praying and for gathering with family. It became massively celebrated in Texas decades later, with many of the formerly enslaved and their descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date, according to Juneteenth.com.

How will Juneteenth be celebrated this year?

The day has been celebrated more in Southern states with rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball, with a focus on education and self-improvement.

New York City has so many ways to celebrate this year. We'll be updating this list as events come in.