Inaugural Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Festival, including motorcade

Celebrate Juneteenth at the first annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Festival. The event will feature arts performances, history exhibits, kids’ activities, a Juneteenth motorcade and more.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Juneteenth festivities celebrate Black community and culture, and are often a call to action. They are events that bring the community together. Keep reading for a list of other Juneteenth events taking place around the Triangle.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Festival will feature virtual, in-person, and hybrid events in 2021. Below are some of the activities that will be going on.

Event Kick-Off

On Friday, June 18th 2021, the event will kick-off at 7 p.m. with an online video premiere featuring greetings and remarks from local leaders, and performances from Poets Laureate CJ Suitt and Fred Joiner and Durham-based country music singer Rissi Palmer. Following the video premiere, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and scholar Annette Gordon-Reed will talk about her new book “On Juneteenth” through a live and virtual Flyleaf Books program.

Juneteenth Motorcade

On Saturday, June 19th, 2021, the community is invited to decorate vehicles and join the Juneteenth Motorcade at 4 p.m. Two routes will allow participants to drive through historic Black neighborhoods and share the Juneteenth spirit.

Local Music Performances

Juneteenth weekend will feature a variety of online and in-person music performances from Triangle-based talents. Headlining the virtual space are R&B powerhouse SunQueen Kelcey, Jazz legend Lydia Salett Dudley, Hip-Hop pioneer Kevin “Kaze” Thomas, and Gospel group Souls of Joy. Performances will be available to stream online starting Saturday, June 19th, 2021. In-person busking performances will also take place along Franklin Street on Saturday night, as part of Downtown Chapel Hill’s Save The Music series. Stay tuned for the full line-up revealed closer to the event.

Eat & Shop at Black-Owned Businesses

Black-owned businesses will be highlighted all weekend long through a scavenger hunt style digital challenge – encouraging the community to answer trivia and complete ‘missions’ for a chance to win prizes. The contest is made possible by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP in partnership with Carolina Chamber and EmPOWERment.

Discover Local History

The community is invited to listen, read, watch, and learn about Black history through digital and in-person exhibits. Chapel Hill Public Library’s historical showcase, I Was Still Singing, will activate 109 East Franklin Street with appearances from the living history makers. Save the date to visit the pop-up on weekends in June.

Of and For The Youth

Piedmont laureate Donna Washington and children’s book author Kelly Starling Lyons will offer virtual storytimes for kids of all ages available throughout the Juneteenth weekend. Recorded performances from artist-led student workshops will also be available to stream.