There’s so much going on in Atlanta for Juneteenth this year! We’ve made a list of all the ways you can honor and celebrate this incredibly important holiday! Keep scrolling to see all the Juneteenth happenings across the city!
And if you don’t know: what is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth celebrates and commemorates June 19th, 1865, when Union troops made their way into Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved people there had already been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been purposely ignored by Texas enslavers. This long-overdue and momentous day has since been celebrated as a day of liberation, called ‘Juneteenth’ or ‘Freedom Day.’
Here are some of our recommendations for Juneteenth in Atlanta:
1. Juneteenth Parade and Music Festival
The Black History Parade and Juneteenth Music Festival is returning to Atlanta for another year of celebration! This year, the iconic festival will be located at Piedmont Park for three days, featuring tons of wonderful music and entertainment, artist markets, family activities, a 5K Freedom Run, and so much more!
2. Juneteenth Storytelling Festival on Bruce Street
When: Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 from 1-3pm
Where: 2449 Bruce St., Lithonia, GA, 30058
For the 3rd annual Storytelling Festival, the theme is ‘History Happens Here!’ Come to the event to share your or your family’s connection to Lithonia, Arabia Mountain and the surrounding area—and enjoy FREE ICE CREAM POPSICLES!
Arabia Mountain is asking locals to also bring their old family photos and historic images of life back in the day of Lithonia, Arabia and the Klondike corridor. These images will be scanned and could be included in a book about Lithonia and the quarrying industry as part of Arcadia Publishing’s bestselling Images of America series.
Learn more and register for free for the event here!3. Check out Oakland Cemetery free Juneteenth family festival
When: June 14th, 2025 from 10am – 8:30pm
Where: Oakland Cemetery
This Saturday, June 14th, join Oakland cemetery for a free Juneteenth family festival to honor Atlanta’s Black pioneers and celebrate those still shaping the city today! With everything from history to tours to poetry to storytelling and more, this event is a wonderful way to honor Juneteenth.
This event features
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Arts & Culture Activities for Kids
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Storytelling Performance & Workshop
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Food Vendors
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Author Talk & Book Signing
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Live Music
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Curated Tours of Oakland’s African American Burial Grounds & More!
4. Visit the APEX Museum
The APEX Museum is Atlanta’s museum dedicated to history from a Black perspective. Located in the historic Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta, discover important and lesser-told stories at this inspirational ATL institution. Get more details about the APEX Museum here!
5. Eat at Atlanta’s delicious Black-owned restaurants
There’s s0 many incredible Black-owned restaurants in the ATL. Whether you’re looking for delicious soul food, vegan delights, BBQ or more, Atlanta’s Black-owned restaurants have just what you’re craving! And this Juneteenth, show them a little EXTRA love, but of course, we support our Black-owned businesses and restaurants all year round!
Check out our roundup of 21 Black-owned restaurants here!Celebrate, honor, and learn all about Juneteenth by visiting one (or many!) of these phenomenal Juneteenth celebrations in Atlanta!
There is still a ton of work to be done to fight racism in the United States. Celebrating Juneteenth is a great reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much more work we still need to do.