Juneteenth events: City hall block party on Friday and more celebrations this weekend

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates freedom from slavery, is on Wednesday, June 19. The Rochester area is holding celebrations ahead of the holiday. Here’s your guide:

Rochester City Hall Juneteenth Block Party (Friday)

The City of Rochester will kick off its celebration at 11 a.m. on Friday by raising the Juneteenth flag at City Hall on Church Street.

After that, the block party will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Church Street with food trucks, music and an RTS wrapped in the colors of the Juneteenth Flag. It will run through 2 p.m.

Genesee Country Village and Museum (Thursday through Saturday)

The Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford is holding exhibits to learn about freedom from slavery. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Guests can learn about the inspiration for Juneteenth at the print shop. An exhibit will explain how over 250,000 enslaved people in Texas in 1865 learned that they were free, under the Emancipation Proclamation that President Lincoln had signed two years earlier.

People can also explore the Nathaniel Rochester House, a site of enslavement in Rochester from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The curator of collections will describe the research into slavery in Rochester. There will also be performance from the Black Storytelling League of Rochester at noon on Friday and Saturday. You can see a complete list of activities ang get tickets here.

Rochester Juneteenth Festival and Parade (Saturday)

The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission is holding its 10th annual Juneteenth festival and parade on Saturday.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Chestnut and Broad streets. After that, the free festival will take place at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park from noon to 8 p.m. Part of the celebration includes free admission at the Strong National Museum of Play.

The festival will include music, food vendors, and activities to celebrate Black history. Singer and songwriter Sevyn Streeter, a six-time ASCAP winner, will perform at the festival at 7:15 p.m. 

Here’s the schedule for opening ceremony at the The Strong Museum Adams Atrium, which starts at 11 a.m.:

• A special honor to Golden Gloves champion Algeria Johnson. You can see News10NBC story on her journey here.
• Elders Ceremony with a Tribute to Queen Mother Iris Banister
• Mayukwa Kashiwa – African Drums
• Pamela Beaty Mensah- The Black National Anthem

This year’s theme will be 60 years of the fight for justice in Rochester. Last year, over 4,000 people attended the festival.

Strong National Museum of Play (Saturday)

The Strong National Museum of Play is offering free admission on Saturday and celebrations of Black history and culture. It’s part of the Rochester Juneteenth Festival.

The festivities will include live music, dance, food, and presentations. In addition, a Juneteenth block party will take place at the Hasbro Game Park and there will be hair braiding at the Play Lab. You can learn more here. Here’s the schedule:

• Drum Circle by Womba Africa, Riedman Commons — 10:45 a.m.
• Opening Ceremony from the Martin Luther King Jr Commission, Adams Atrium — 11 a.m.
• Meet-and-Greet with a Patriotic Captain and Mermaid Princess, Adams Atrium— noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.
• Miracles Dance Studio, Paychex Theater — 12:30 p.m.
• Dreamseeds Jazz Band, Adams Atrium —1 p.m.
• Hip Hop Violin by Keicheira Marshall-Hosier,Paychex Theater — 1:30 p.m.
• Meet-and-Greet with Miss Sweet Potato Pie, Adams Atrium — 1:30 p.m.
• Cooking Demonstration with Chef Nada Mays, Paychex Theater — 2 p.m.
• Draper Dance Lesson, Adams Atrium — 2:30 p.m.