A man displays a shirt celebrating the freedom of enslaved Black people during the Juneteenth celebration in the Greenwood District on June 19, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
Organizations and cities across Iowa are celebrating Juneteenth with music festivals, learning opportunities and more.
Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, celebrates the day slavery ended in the United States. President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 making Juneteenth an official federal holiday like Memorial Day or Labor Day.
Here is a look at six different Juneteenth events across Iowa.
Ottumwa’s nine-hour Juneteenth celebration
The Ottumwa Juneteenth Celebration on Wednesday features nine hours of live music, entertainment, guest speakers, history about Juneteenth, dance performances and more.
The celebration will begin at 12:30 a.m. in the Railroad Park near where the I-34 and I-63 meet right next to the Des Moines River.
Attendance is free and attendees are encouraged to bring strollers, lawn chairs and canopies to enhance the experience. Volunteers for the event can sign up here.
Some of the speakers include city officials, a pastor and other local community groups.
There will be a one-hour puppet show by the Eulenspiegel Puppets starting at 1 p.m. and a dance performance by the Acholi African Dancers at 2:45 p.m.
The last two and a half hours will be for the River Roots Concert.
Education and entertainment in Des Moines’s Juneteenth events
Two different events in Des Moines will attempt to educate residents about Juneteenth’s history while also entertain the community.
Held annually, the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement (DSM BLM) is hosting a Juneteenth event with free food, music and games.
The event is on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at Wilkie House on 900 17th St.
“Each year on Juneteenth, the DSM BLM Foundation has held our Juneteenth celebration, an event open to families and neighbors where we can come together, share space and create joy,” DSM BLM said of the event on its website.
Big Grove Brewery will host a Juneteenth presentation by the General Chairperson for Iowa Juneteenth Dwana Bradley about the history and significance of Juneteenth.
Bradley, who is also the executive director of Des Moines Urban Experience, will speak on June 29 at 11 a.m.
Bradley also holds three degrees education from Drake University and owns Iowa Urban Media, which publishes the Urban Experience Magazine and produces “This is not my Show.” She has also been a member of the Des Moines Public School Board.
Big Grove Brewery is in downtown Des Moines at 555 17th St.
Juneteenth in Clinton, Iowa
Clinton’s Juneteenth Celebration takes place Wednesday and will feature a puppet show, coloring contest, live music, food vendors and more.
The four-hour event will start at 5 p.m. in NelsonCorp Field near the Mississippi River at 537 Ball Park Dr.
Attendance is free with food and drinks available for purchase.
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Ankeny to host fourth annual Juneteenth Festival
Local performances, food vendors, live music, a kids’ area and more will all be featured at the fourth annual Juneteenth Festival.
The event is free to attend and is meant to highlight the “beauty and power of Black culture” both locally and internationally.
The festival will be on Sunday from 3-9 p.m. at the Bandshell in Wagner Park at 410 W 1st St.
Art, music and food all available at Juneteenth events in Iowa City
Iowa City will host two different Juneteenth events on Wednesday which are free to attend and available to the public.
The first is the “I Am Sacred” art show and auction which will take place in the Iowa City Senior Center from 4-7 p.m. Outside of the art, finger foods will be also available.
The second is meant to teach the history and importance of Juneteenth through the use of music and food. The event will be held at the Iowa City Public Library Teen Center from 3:30-5 p.m.
Hibiscus tea, red velvet cake and barbecue were examples of what will be available at the event. The event will also examine African American music post-emancipation as well as a trivia game at the end.
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