Commemorating its third year as an official federal holiday, celebrations are gearing up this weekend for Juneteenth! Keep reading for a list of events in downtown Pittsburgh and beyond for the June 19th holiday.
Black History: Closer Than You Think – Juneteenth Celebration
Friday, June 16th | 5:00pm – 8:00pm | Hazelwood Green
Join Center of Life for a free outdoor concert featuring live jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop from Center of Life Jazz and The KRUNK Movement, along with food trucks, games, and more.
Swissvale’s Juneteenth Celebration
Saturday, June 17th | All day | Les Getz Memorial Park & Pavilions
Swissvale will hold its 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday. Activities include live musical performances, vendors, raffles, silent auction, free haircuts, face painting, and more!
Juneteenth Block Party
Saturday, June 17th | 2:00pm – 6:00pm | Fineview Park Shelter
The Juneteenth Block Party is presented by the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Medicine’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the UPMC GME Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee. Guests are invited to celebrate freedom and progress in the heart of Oakland with music, food trucks, games, a caricature artist, and cool treats provided by Kona Ice.
Juneteenth Community Day
Sunday, June 18th | 11:00am – 4:00pm | Pittsburgh Glass Center
Visit the Pittsburgh Glass Center for a free day of live neon and plasma demonstrations and lectures led by local artists, Percy Echols II and Olive Hughes, in honor of Juneteenth. Attendees can also explore the gallery and learn more about Pittsburgh Glass Center artists.
All donations made during the event will support Pittsburgh Glass Center’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) scholarship fund, which allows any BIPOC student to take any class or workshop at PGC for free.
Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration
June 16th – 19th | 11:00am – 9:00pm daily | Market Square and Point State Park
The biggest and most popular Juneteenth celebration in Pittsburgh is back! This daily event will feature live performances from prominent Black artists from all over the country. Local vendors will have food, clothing, jewelry and other products. Also, there will be presentations by nationally-acclaimed speakers, fireworks, and much more!
Artists performing at Point State Park over the four days include Hurricane Chris, Arrested Development, KRS-ONE, U.S. Army Jazz Band, SAMMIE, KeKe Wyatt, Carl Thomas & Band, Sammie Deleon Afro-Cuban Band, Soul 4 Real, Erica Campbell, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Phyllis Hyman Tribute Band, RUFF ENDZ, and The Ohio Players. Check out the festival line-up and schedule and plan your visit!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.