With Juneteenth approaching, we tapped Emily Anadu, builder, marketer, and founder of The Lay Out, a Brooklyn-based community platform dedicated to centering Black joy through Black expression, cooperative economics, and social impact, to compile a list of events as BKMAG’s first guest editor. Her picks for the weekend are below.
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, but in Brooklyn, it is also a celebration of how we gather: through food, music, family, history, play, culture, and community. And after bringing thousands of Brooklynites together in Fort Greene Park for The Lay Out’s 7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 14, I’m carrying that same spirit into the official holiday weekend.
From food festivals and family programming to block parties, open streets, and a World Cup watch party, here’s where I’d go to keep the celebration going across Brooklyn.
Friday, June 19
Weeksville Heritage Center & Black-Owned Brooklyn’s 5th Annual Juneteenth Food Festival @ Weeksville Heritage Center
12 p.m.–8 p.m.
Weeksville Heritage Center and Black-Owned Brooklyn bring back their Juneteenth Food Festival for year five, gathering 30 Black food vendors for a celebration that feels part cookout, part block party. Expect everything from fried catfish, barbecue, and red velvet cake to flavors from across the Black diaspora, plus sets by Saint James Joy, DJ Tara, Donwill, and DJ Monday Blue, line dancing with Kendra J. Ross, double dutch, drumline performances, and community organizations on site.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum: Celebrate Juneteenth @ Brower Park
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum hosts a free community gathering in Brower Park celebrating freedom and Black joy. The day includes Brooklyn United Drumline, the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School Choir, storytime with Tammy Hall, Brooklyn Ballet: Ballet to the Streets, and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Jazz Fellows.
This year’s BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Juneteenth program centers Black freedom, creativity, and family, with Infinity Song, Victory Boyd, Annie and the Caldwells, and DJ Duane sharing the stage. Entry is first come, first served, and the program will include ASL interpretation.
Dick & Jane’s Juneteenth Block Takeover @ Dick & Jane’s Barroom
6:30 p.m.
Dick & Jane’s brings the Juneteenth vibes to Bed-Stuy with a block takeover full of music, neighbors, friends and family. MoreSoupPlease joins Actazif for a celebration of Black culture and Brooklyn energy.
The Lay Out x Habana Outpost: Haiti vs. Brazil Watch Party @ Habana Outpost
8 p.m. vibes, 9 p.m. match
Habana Outpost and The Lay Out are celebrating Juneteenth, Caribbean Heritage Month, and the World Cup with an outdoor screening of Haiti vs. Brazil. Come for the match, stay for the food, the music and the very Brooklyn magic of watching the world gather on a summer night.
Juneteenth Grove @ Cadman Plaza Park
Designated by NYC Parks on June 19, 2020, Juneteenth Grove is a meaningful stop for anyone looking to reflect on the history and ongoing significance of the holiday. The grove includes 19 flowering trees, banners, and benches in the colors of the Pan-African flag.
Saturday, June 20
We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth, Vol. IV @ The Plaza at 300 Ashland
2 p.m.–8 p.m.
651 ARTS brings “Downtown Brooklyn’s biggest stoop” back for an all-day Juneteenth celebration rooted in Black joy, expression, and togetherness. Expect music, movement, performance, and the kind of public gathering that makes a plaza feel like a front porch.
Franklin Avenue Open Streets Juneteenth Celebration @ Franklin Avenue (between Bergen and St. Marks)
12 p.m.–6 p.m.
Bridge Street Development Corporation and the Franklin Avenue Merchants bring Juneteenth to Franklin Avenue Open Streets with a summer block-party feel. Build, listen, play, and shop a selection of brands from The Lay Out’s BuyBLK. ByBLK. Marketplace initiative.
A Night at Erzulie: Juneteenth Edition @ Erzulie
10 p.m.–4 a.m.
A Night at Erzulie returns for a Juneteenth edition at one of Brooklyn’s beloved Black-owned venues, with Trap Tastic hosting and sounds carrying the night into the morning.
Sunday, June 21
Parks & Rec @ LoHi
3 p.m.–10 p.m.
Parks & Rec returns for a Juneteenth weekend day party celebrating Black joy, community, and the power of gathering. MoreSoupPlease, Quiiana Parks, and DJ 9AM soundtrack the event.
The post How Brooklyn Is Celebrating Juneteenth appeared first on BKMAG.
