10 Art Events for Juneteenth Joy in NYC
Rico Gatson’s “Beacons: Audre Lorde” (2018) at the 167th Street subway station in the Bronx (photo courtesy Bronx Museum)
The United States’ Juneteenth federal holiday, commemorating the day emancipation reached Texas years after the proclamation of the end of slavery, turns six this Friday.
Notably, this year, the public holiday’s festivities coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary, which has propelled a nationwide discourse about which American stories ought to be elevated. In New York, arts groups and organizations are honoring the contemplative and joyous date with events ranging from heritage walks and drag performances to DJ sets and museum exhibitions. Here’s a selection of programming across the boroughs this long weekend.
The Bronx Museum’s Juneteenth Celebration
The Bronx Museum, 1040 Grand Concourse, The Bronx Thursday, June 18, 6–9pm
The Bronx Museum will keep its galleries open late on Tuesday night for a Juneteenth event co-organized by the political communications firm PR2Politics. This celebration will feature drumming performances, DJ sets, conversations, and after-hours access to the museum’s current exhibition The Seventh AIM Biennial: Forms of Connection.
The Flea Public Performance Series
The Flea, 20 Thomas Street, Tribeca and various locations, Manhattan June 18–24
A snapshot from The Flea’s Juneteenth programming from last year (photo courtesy The Flea)
The Flea Theater’s annual Juneteenth free performance series returns, kicking off on Thursday night at South Street Seaport with artist Asia Stewart’s “after air,” a memorial to individuals trafficked into slavery via the port of New York in the early 1800s. Next Wednesday, June 24, the Flea will also hold a talk by sociologist Renée T. White exploring the 250th anniversary of the United States. More details on performances and locations are available here.
Studio Museum, 144 West 125th Street, Harlem, Manhattan Friday, June 19, 11am–8pm
The Studio Museum in Harlem (photo Noel Woodford, courtesy Studio Museum in Harlem)
This family-friendly event marks the museum’s first Juneteenth celebration since its long-awaited reopening earlier this year. Through a series of drop-in sessions, the institution is offering David Hammons-inspired freedom flag workshops, reflection sessions, sound baths, movement exercises, and a discussion on incarcerated elders. Some events require RSVP, here.
I am Somebody: Brooklyn Children’s Museum Celebration
Brower Park, Crown Heights, BrooklynFriday, June 19, 11am–3pm
This year’s celebration will include performances by several Brooklyn arts organizations. (photo courtesy Brooklyn Children’s Museum)
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s Juneteenth festivities return to the borough’s Brower Park with performances by the Brooklyn United Marching Band and Brooklyn Ballet, and storytime activities hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library. St. John’s University in Queens will also facilitate a community art mosaic throughout the event.
Juneteenth Family Day
Staten Island Museum, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island Friday, June 19, 12–3pm
Still from Ninhos em Movimento (image courtesy Staten Island Museum)
Staten Island Museum’s free, intergenerational programming includes the pop-up exhibition Rhythms of Change: An Altered Books Project, showcasing repurposed mixed-media books created in the theme of “music for social change.” The museum will also host a screening of the NY International Children’s Film Festival’s Celebrating Black Stories, which includes films for children ages eight and older that explore Black joy and identity.
Juneteenth Celebration in Seneca Village
Seneca Village Landscape, West Side of Central Park between 82nd and 89th Streets, Manhattan Friday, June 19, 1pm
The Central Park Conservancy will honor Juneteenth with a celebration at the historic Seneca Village. (photo courtesy Central Park Conservancy)
In this program organized by the Central Park Conservancy in the historic Seneca Village, home to a thriving community of Black New Yorkers in the 19th century, performers will dance and recite spoken-word poetry. Confirmed guests will include Broadway tap dancer DeWitt Fleming Jr. and poet and educator Mikumari Caiyhe.
Tour: Brooklyn and the Abolitionist Movement
Brooklyn Bridge Park, corner of Furman and Old Fulton Streets, BrooklynFriday, June 19, 2–3:30pm
Last year’s tour of Brooklyn abolitionist history. (photo courtesy NYC Parks)
Urban park rangers for the New York City Parks Department are offering a free tour of Brooklyn abolitionist history on Friday, beginning at the Historic Fulton Ferry Landing, where abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher delivered sermons in the 1850s. The city created the Brooklyn Abolitionist Heritage Walk in 2024, which encompasses 18 sites that trace the borough’s myriad contributions to the 19th-century movement.
Student Art at the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, BrooklynSaturday, June 20, 12–3 pm
The Brooklyn Museum will display projects created by NYC public school students. (photo courtesy Brooklyn Museum)
The Brooklyn Museum will present We Insist! Two Brooklyn Legends and the Next Generation, a display of 100 artworks by NYC public school students created through The Basquiat Project, an educational program established in 2020 in honor of the late artist. Later in the day, student ensembles from The Max Roach Music Project will perform for visitors. Admission to the special programming is free with the purchase of a museum ticket.
Blacktopia: Queer, Black, & Beyond Block Party
The Center, 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan Saturday, June 20, 12–7pm
A performer “death drops” at The Center’s 2025 Juneteenth Celebration (courtesy The Center)
All are welcome to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Center’s (The Center) high-energy Juneteenth block party, featuring Black-owned businesses and musical and performance acts. The West Village event will celebrate Black LGBTQ+ visibility outside the social service nonprofit’s headquarters, where the organization provides comprehensive affirming programs.
We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth, Vol. IV
651 ARTS and The Soapbox Presents, The Plaza at 300 Ashland, BrooklynSaturday, June 20, 2pm
Dancers at last year’s celebration (image courtesy The Soapbox Presents and 651 ARTS)
The Soapbox Presents and 651 ARTS’s free annual We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth returns to The Plaza in Brooklyn for its fourth edition this week. As in last year’s event, special programs will include performances by marching bands and dancers honoring the culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
