A List of Michigan Juneteenth Events, Sorted by Where You Live

Check out Juneteenth events happening near you.

MICHIGAN—Presenting many Michiganders with an unexpected long weekend, the new federal holiday of Juneteenth boasts a history worth celebrating.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston to oversee the final fall of slavery, two weeks after the conclusion of the Civil War. Though President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation declared that all enslaved people in rebelling states were free, his orders had minimal immediate effect on Confederate states still stubbornly fighting to protect the institution of slavery. As the Civil War continued for another two years, enslaved people still played a prominent part of life in the South and in fighting for both sides.

In April 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, handing the Union army victory. But word didn’t reach many plantations until months later, and freedom trickled through the South slowly. Finally, two months after the Civil War concluded, federal soldiers arrived in Galveston. US Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3, stating that: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

Following the declaration, 250,000 people in Texas were no longer slaves..

Of course, the path to freedom following June 19, 1865, has not been linear. Some slave-owners refused to inform people of their freedom until after the harvest. Later, the end of federal occupation and Reconstruction in the South set loose a new era of racist policies and cultural practices, forcing many Black Americans to flee north in what became known as the Great Migration.

Last year, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed an act enshrining Juneteenth as a national holiday. Throughout Michigan, many events commemorate the belated freedom secured on June 19, 1865, in Galveston. Though Black families have marked the day for decades, official events took root in Detroit in the 1990s.

Now, more public events than ever are open to all members of Michigan communities.

Below is a list of what events are taking place this weekend in Michigan. The events are sorted by region. Please click the links attached for detailed information such as parade routes, event times, and entertainment offerings.

For more information, see these articles about Juneteenth events in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. Hat tip to the local news organizations there for compiling rich lists and details.

Metro Detroit

June 16-18: Juneteenth Community Celebration and Liberty Fest: Canton Township

June 3-30: Juneteenth Film Festival: Emagine Royal Oak, 200 N. Main St., Royal Oak/The Rivera Powered by Emagine, 30170 Grand River Ave., Farmington Hills.

June 17-19: Juneteenth Freedom Weekend: Various events in Detroit

June 11-19: Juneteenth Detroit Festival: Various locations in Detroit

June 15-22: Southfield Juneteenth Celebration: Southfield Municipal campus, 26000 Evergreen Road

June 17-19: Farmington Area Juneteenth Celebration: Nardin Park United Methodist Church, 29887 W. Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills

June 17-19: Juneteenth – The Art of our Culture: Fisher Building, 3011 West Grand Blvd., Suite 104, Detroit

June 18-19: Juneteenth Jubilee Freedom Weekend: 315 E Warren Ave., Detroit

June 18-19: Ypsilanti 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration: 107 Ferris St., Ypsilanti

June 18: A. Philip Randolph Institute Juneteenth Celebration: UAW Local 600, 10550 Dix Ave., Dearborn

June 18: Dearborn Juneteenth Mobility Stroll and Roll Parade: Begins at Michigan and Schaefer in Dearborn at 10 a.m.. Route info available in link.

June 18: Juneteenth in the WB: West Bloomfield High School, 4925 Orchard Lake, Bloomfield Township

June 18: Juneteenth Family Health & Fun Day: 16455 Woodward Ave., Highland Park

June 18: Juneteenth Family Reunion: Catalpa Oaks County Park, 27705 Greenfield Road, Southfield

June 18: Madison Heights Juneteenth Celebration: Madison Heights Civic Center Park, 360 W. 13 Mile Road

June 18: Wesly Bennett Foundation Juneteenth Celebration: Leanna Hicks Public Library, 2500 Hamlin Drive, Inkster

June 18-19: Jazzin’ At The Vanity: Jefferson-Chalmers Business District, Detroit

June 18: Experience Culture-Unity in the Community Juneteenth Celebration: Novi Public Library

June 18: Ferndale/Hazel Park Juneteenth Celebration: Green Acres Park, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. 

June 18: 3rd Annual Juneteenth Community Celebration: 35351 Beverly Road, Romulus

June 19: Juneteenth/Father’s Day Trilogy Celebration: Ebenezer AME Church, 5151 W. Chicago, Detroit

June 19: The D Loft Juneteenth Celebration: Marygrove College, 8425 W. McNichols, Detroit

June 19: Block Party Juneteenth: 9850 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit

June 19: Dearborn Heights Juneteenth Festival: 22201 Powers Ave., Dearborn Heights

June 19: Juneteenth Celebration: Centennial Commons, Royal Oak

June 19: Juneteenth Freedom: Russell Woods Park, Detroit

Lansing Area

June 13-19: Meridian Freedom Fest Honoring Juneteenth: Various locations, Meridian Township

June 17: MSU Juneteenth Celebration: The Breslin Center, 534 Birch Rd, East Lansing

June 16-18: Lansing Juneteenth Celebration: Various locations, Downtown Lansing

June 16-19: 517 Juneteenth Weekend: 1115 S Washington Ave., Lansing

June 17-19: Jackson Juneteenth Celebrations: Various locations, Jackson

Grand Rapids 

June 17: Juneteenth Freedom Festival: Park Theatre, 248 S River Ave., Holland

June 18: Baxter Juneteenth Celebration: Joe Taylor Park, 1001 Baxter St. SE, Grand Rapids

June 18: Spring GR Juneteenth Festival: John Ball Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids

June 18: Juneteenth Festival 2022: Kollen Park, 240 Kollen Park Drive, Holland

June 18: Juneteenth Pop Up Event: Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids

June 18: Juneteenth Jump-Off Basketball Tournament: Third Reformed Church, 11 W 13th St., Holland

June 19: Justice 4 All Juneteenth Jam: Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids

June 19: Juneteenth Pop Up at MLK Park: Martin Luther King Park, 1200 Franklin St. SE, Grand Rapids

June 19: GR Juneteenth 2022 Dickinson Buffer Park Dundunba Celebration of Life: 1435 Eastern St. SE, Grand Rapids

June 19: Dreams Take Work Juneteenth Music & Dance Festival: 301 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids

Kalamazoo

June 18: Juneteenth Celebration in Bronson Park: 200 S. Rose St., Kalamazoo 

June 18: Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Black Film Fest: Kalamazoo Valley Museum, 230 N. Rose St.

June 18: The Trinity Prep Center presents “The Show Stoppers”: Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., Kalamazoo

June 18: Black Women Elevated: The Space, 320 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo

June 18: The Juneteenth Gala (contact: [email protected]): The Xperience, 143 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo

June 19: Washington Square Hosts Juneteenth Celebrating Freedom: 1350 Portage St., Kalamazoo

June 19: The Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration: Arcadia Creek Festival Site, 145 E. Water St., Downtown Kalamazoo

Flint/Port Huron/Saginaw

June 17: 50th Annual “Jubilee” Juneteenth Celebration: Sloan Museum of Discovery lawn & Longway Planetarium lawn, 1221 E. Kearsley St., Flint

June 17: Miss Juneteenth Pageant: Horizons Conference Center, 6200 State St., Saginaw Township

June 17:  Black Wallstreet Vendor Expo: Flint City Hall, 1101 Saginaw St., Flint

June 17: Paint With a Purpose (Juneteenth Edition): Paints, Chalices & Hues, 3725 S. Saginaw St 104, Flint

June 18: Port Huron Juneteenth Celebration!: St. Clair County Community College, 323 Erie Street, Port Huron

June 18: Flint Juneteenth Parade: University of Michigan Flint 5th Ave. Parking Lot to Downtown Flint Flat Lot

June 18: Ujamaa Black Business Expo: Flushing Professional Suites, 3163 Flushing Rd., Flint

June 18: Flint Juneteenth Festival: Downtown Flint Flat Lot

June 18: Juneteenth Family Fun Day Celebrations: Berston Fieldhouse, 3300 S. Saginaw St., Flint

June 18: Juneteenth Freedom Parade: 800 S Washington Ave, Saginaw

June 18: Flint Juneteenth Fireworks Concert feat. Mama Sol: Rutherford Ramp Rooftop/125 W. Kearsley St., Flint

June 19: Street Renaming and Block Party for Claressa Shields: intersection of Spencer St. and Saginaw St., Flint

June 19: Traditional Flint Juneteenth Family Reunion and Parade: Max Brandon Park, 606 DuPont St., Flint

June 19: Juneteenth Father’s Day Festival: Morley Plaza, 133 N Washington Ave, Saginaw

June 19: Traditional Flint Juneteenth Concert: Riverbank Park, 328 Saginaw St., Flint

Northern Michigan

June 17: JUNETEENTH: Ore Dock Take Over: Ore Dock Brewing Co., 114 W Spring St, Marquette

June 18: Juneteenth 4.5K Walk/Run: 225 E Sixteenth St, Traverse City

June 19: Juneteenth: A Cultural Celebration: Ellwood A Mattson Lower Harbor Park, 200 N Lakeshore Blvd, Marquette 

June 19: Juneteenth Celebration: Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, Northern Michigan College, Traverse City