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Celebrating Juneteenth: A list of events in Hampton Roads for the 2022 holiday

Friday is Juneteenth – learn the history behind the holiday
Posted at 5:13 PM, Jun 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-17 17:57:06-04

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - People in Hampton Roads are coming together to celebrate an important part of American history.

Juneteenthis the oldest known commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Celebrated on June 19, it marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, the last of the former Confederate states to abolish slavery, finally heard that the Civil War had ended, and learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had made them free nearly two years earlier.

In 2020, Virginia acknowledged Juneteenth with a written proclamation. Former Gov. Ralph Northam said it is time we elevate the holiday so it is celebrated by everyone.

In October of that year, Virginia lawmakers unanimously passed legislation officially making it a state holiday.

MyActiveChild.com hasput together a list of Juneteenth events that will be happening in our area this year. You can see the complete list below:

Chesapeake

757 Juneteenth FreedomFest 

When: Saturday, June 18 from 12-6 p.m.

Juneteenth Father’s Day Festival 

When: Sunday, June 18 beginning at 1 p.m.

***

Hampton

Juneteenth Festival - Celebrating Freedom, All Fathers and All Families

Where: Darling Stadium
When: Sunday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Faith-Walk Juneteenth Celebration 2022: Still Walking

Where: Mill Point Park
When: Sunday, June 19 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Hampton African American Heritage Festival 

Where: Mill Point Park
When: Saturday, June 25 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Free concert at Fort Monroe Theatre

Where: Fort Monroe Theatre
When: Saturday, June 18 at 6 p.m.

Freedom Forward

Where: Virtual event on 400 Years of African American History Commission website
When: Sunday, June 19 at 3 p.m.

***

Newport News

Juneteenth Expressions 

Where: Newport News Community Centers
When: June 8-19

Juneteenth Bingo

Where: Midtown Community Center
When: Tuesday, June 14 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Juneteenth Debate

Where: Denbigh Community Center
When: Wednesday, June 15 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Juneteenth Spoken Word

Where: Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center
When: Thursday, June 16 from 7-9 p.m.

Juneteenth Mime: The Faces of Freedom

Where: The Mariner’s Museum
When: Friday, June 17 from 7-9 p.m.

Juneteenth Youth Field and Games

Where: Riverview Farm Park
When: Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Juneteenth Historical Pageant 

Where: Virtual
When: Saturday, June 18 from 7-8:30 p.m.

Feeding 5000 Juneteenth Celebration

Where: New Beech Grove Baptist Church, 361 Beechmont Drive
When: 12 p.m.

Chic A Sea and Jay’s Catering are providing hearty meals to-go, which will be individually packed, for the event. People who attend the event only need to bring their appetite because the meals will be free while supplies last.

Juneteenth Freedom Festival

Where: King-Lincoln Park
When: Sunday, June 19 from 12-4 p.m.

***

Norfolk

Frederick Douglass: On Slavery & Emancipation with Norfolk Public Library

Where: Virtual
When: Saturday, June 18 at 8 a.m.

Family Day: Juneteenth

Where: Chrysler Museum
When: Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

2nd Annual Juneteenth in the Park 

When: Saturday, June 18 from 12-5 p.m.

Community Day

Where: Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library
When: Saturday, June 18 from 12-4 p.m.

Juneteenth Freedom Festival

Where: Slover Library
When: Saturday, June 18 from 1-5:30 p.m.

Celebrate Juneteenth with Storyteller Eunice Shands with Norfolk Public Library

Where: Virtual (Online)
When: Saturday, June 18 at 2 p.m.

***

Portsmouth

Juneteenth Festival 2022 

When: Friday, June 17 from 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, June 18 from 12-6 p.m. and Sunday, June 19 from 3-6 p.m.

Juneteenth Freedom Day

When: Sunday, June 19 from 1-9 p.m.

***

Suffolk

Juneteenth Black Excellence Expo 

When: Saturday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Juneteenth Local Author Talk: V.M. Roberts and Jeanice Thomas at Morgan Memorial Library

When: Thursday, June 23 at 6 p.m.

Black Health & Wellness: Looking Back to Find the Path Forward 
Where: Virtual
When: Thursday, June 16 from 12-1:30 p.m.

WebEx Live! Juneteenth! with Virginia Beach Public Library

Where: Virtual
When: Thursday, June 16 from 4-4:45 p.m.

#ThirdThursday Virginia Beach Public Art Walk: “Portraits from a Place of Grace” 

When: Thursday, June 16 from 4-6 p.m.

Unity in the Community ArtWalk Along the Boardwalk 

When: June 16 -19

VBGIGS Presents Juneteenth in the ViBe Creative District

When: Saturday, June 18 beginning at 9 a.m.

 Juneteenth At The Beach

When: Saturday, June 18 from 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, June 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

African American Music Month Celebrating Juneteenth

When: Sunday, June 19 from 3:30 – 5 p.m.

***

York County

Juneteenth Celebration with Virginia Beach Public Library

Where: Virtual
When: Saturday, June 18 from 5-8:30 p.m.

Do you know of an event that's not on this list? Let us know and email it to takingaction@wtkr.com.

Related: Juneteenth: NSU's Roberts Center and the journey to 'true freedom'