Juneteenth Community Celebration
Saturday, June 18th
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth at the Eiteljorg with performances, art making activities, and FREE admission for all.
Juneteenth: A Brief History
On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to bring the news that the Civil War had ended and to ensure all enslaved people were freed. As the news spread, so too did the celebrations – Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, was born. Today, you can find people across the country celebrating with barbecues, parades, prayers services, music, and more.
In 2021, the US Federal Government acknowledged Juneteenth as a national holiday
The Eiteljorg Celebrates Juneteenth
In honor of the 150th anniversary, the Eiteljorg hosted its first Juneteenth celebration in 2015 with community partners, performances, food, art, and free museum admission. That event was so popular, we decided to make it an annual tradition at the museum, extending free museum admission to all on the first Saturday in June.
Juneteenth & Jazz: Celebrating Freedom
Performances will be held outside under The Sails, weather permitting. Enjoy family activities throughout the day. No ticket reservation required.
Schedule of Performances
10:00 a.m.: Poetry reading by Patrice Stokes
10:15 a.m.: Freetown Village Singers
10:45 a.m.: Poetry reading by Patrice Stokes
11 a.m.: The Lewis Storytellers
12:30 p.m.: Greg Sansing & the JaZZsetters
2 p.m.: Rob Dixon quartet
Featured Vendors
Freetown Village Singers
Greg Sansing & the JaZZsetters
Rob Dixon Quartet
Virtual Panel Discussion: The History and Significance of Juneteenth
Watch last year’s virtual panel on Juneteenth
Additional Resources from the 2021 Celebration
Black-Owned Restaurants in Indianapolis
Drink
- Tea’s Me Cafe
- Sip & Share Wines
- Circadian Coffee
Food
- Maxine’s Chicken and Waffles
- PI Indy
- Barb-B-Q Heaven
- Garrett’s Smokehouse Barbecue
- Hank’s Smoked Briskets
- House of Soul Cafe
- I Heart Mac & Cheese
- The Eat Factory
- Cleo’s Bodega & Cafe
- The Cul De Sac Kitchen (Vegan)
- The Food Firm
- The Sweet Potato LLC
Sweets
- Gordon’s Milkshake Bar
- LiftOff Creamery
- Sweeties Gourmet Treats
Other Black-Owned Businesses in Indianapolis
- Haven Yoga Studio
- The Yoga Counselor
- Black Amethyst Naturals
- Shea Bodyworks
- Just Ride Indy
- Indy Juneteenth
- Jaell Products
- In My Sistas Ear
- Pearliebeee
Books by Black Authors
- In the Language of My Captor by Shane McCrae
- The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
- Zeely by Virginia Hamilton
- On the Bus with Rosa Parks by Rita Dove
- To ‘Joy My Freedom: southern Black
- Lives and Labors after the Civil War
- The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
- Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Cane by Jean Toomer
- This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson (Children’s books)
Movies by Black Filmmakers
- I Am Not Your Negro
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Da 5 Bloods
- Do The Right Thing
- 12 Years A Slave
- 13th
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