Juneteenth 2023 falls on a Monday, and there will be no shortage of celebrations across Alabama as the day approaches. Here’s a look at festivities planned throughout the state.

A Juneteenth Celebration Guide published by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute starts with a quick summary of the concept: Though President Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation became law in January 1863, it was not enforced in places still under Confederate control. It was June 19, 1865, when U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced the news in Galveston, Texas. The word “Juneteenth,” a mashup of “June” and “nineteenth,” first appeared in the 1890s.

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Athens

The Limestone County NAACP will hold a Juneteenth celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in the Jimmy Gill Park pavilion, 2341 Hine St. S. Activities include voter registration, COVID vaccinations and booster shots, and free food. A blood drive will be held. For more information, call 251-216-5668 or 256-797-1333 or visit the organization’s Facebook page.

Auburn/Opelika area

Historic St. Luke A.M.E. Church at 1308 Auburn St. in Opelika will celebrate Juneteenth from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 17. Free and open to the public. The family friendly event will include games, fundraisers, guest speakers, food and drink and more.

The Greater Valley Juneteenth Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in downtown Lanett, with attractions including music, food, fun and games. A fireworks show starting at dusk can be viewed from the Old Mill parking lot. Free. For information email [email protected].

The cities of Auburn and Opelika are coordinating Juneteenth plans, with events presented by the cities, the Auburn and Opelika Juneteenth committees and NWATF, Inc. A 6 p.m. event on Friday, June 16, will include a march around the Opelika town square. Opelika will host a Mrs. Senior Citizens Juneteenth Pageant starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Covington Recreation Center. Auburn’s Juneteenth Parade will start at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at the Boykin Recreation Center and pass along Boykin Street to Drake Middle School. A free public celebration will take place from 10 a.m. “until” on Monday, June 19, at Keisel Park in Auburn, with free soul food, games for adults and children and entertainment.

Baldwin County

A Fourth Annual Juneteenth celebration will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at South Beach Park by the municipal pier. Admission is free. The family friendly event will feature vendors, a DJ and children’s activities.

Birmingham area

A Juneteenth Cultural Fest will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Ave. SW. The event features a street market with art, food and fun; call 205-356-9723. A concert follows from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $12, and tickets are available through Eventbrite. For information call 205-215-4458.

A second annual Juneteenth Festival will be presented in Gardendale by Balancing and Overcoming Life Adversities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Gardendale Civic Center, 857 Main St. Attractions include music, art, poetry, food trucks and other vendors. Call 205-899-3456 or email [email protected].

The Lifting as We Climb Foundation will present its second annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at Arlington Historic House, 331 Cotton Ave. SW. the event features music, poetry, a fireworks display and more. “This celebration is family friendly, both in activity and entertainment choices. Bring your small tents, lawn chairs, and your appetite. A diverse array of food options will be on site to satisfy your cravings. Children under 12 will have separate options and eat free. Various local vendors will also be on site with their merchandise on display and for sale. Too, some of the city’s brightest minds will be providing education in a number of areas that are of importance to the community.” Tickets are $25, available through Eventbrite.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will present “Juneteenth: The Cookout” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17. The event is described as “a day of celebration featuring free gallery tours, food trucks, live entertainment, a children’s village, empowerment workshops and more.” 520 16th St. N., www.bcri.org. Though admission is free, visitors are encouraged to pre-register at www.eventbrite.com.

Hoover-AHEAD will present its third annual Juneteenth celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Dr. Attractions include free family fun and education, live performances including African dancing and drumming and a youth choir, children’s activities and food trucks and other vendors. For information, visit www.hoover-ahead.com or www.facebook.com/officialhooverahead.

The third annual Juneteenth in the Magic City Festival, presented by Simone’s Kitchen ATL and partner organizations, takes place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at 521 3rd Ave. N. Attractions include food trucks, vendors, live music, fireworks show and more. Early bird tickets are $15, general admission is $20 and children younger than 10 are admitted free. www.facebook.com/simoneskitchenatl.

The Cornerstone Revitalization Foundation will hold its first Unity Breakfast in celebration of Juneteenth at 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 16, at Bill Harris Arena, 2337 Besser Road. The featured speaker is Bishop Stephen Davis of Refresh Family Church; the even will feature a special appearance by recording artist Luther Barnes. Tickets are $50, available at Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.

The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation of Alabama will hold its official Juneteenth commemoration from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 19, in Kelly Ingram Park. Events include a 9:30 a.m. parade starting at 16th St. Baptist Church and a dove release at 4 p.m. www.nationaljuneteenthalabama.org.

A community Juneteenth event will be held from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at the Mary E. Dorsey Center, 4560 Park Ave. SW in Bessemer. “Come join us for food, fun, prizes, history and celebration of freedom/freeish! Music/Entertainment Free! You must bring a side dish of your choice! Please let host know what you are bringing! Everyone welcome!” Call 205-434-8855.

Florence

Jammin4Justice will present its fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration from Friday through Sunday, June 16-18. Attractions include “Live Music, DJs, Spoken Word, African Drumming Circle, Vendors, Food Trucks, Games, Jumpy Houses, Horse Rides & More.” A Juneteenth parade takes place in downtown Florence from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 17. https://www.facebook.com/jammin4justice.

Huntsville

Deeper Than Rhymes will present its second Juneteenth Fest from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Straight to Ale, 2610 Clinton Ave. W. Featured artists include Cassandra Mitchell, Lamar Cole, Rayed R., and many more. Admission is free. www.facebook.com/DeeperThanRhymes.

A Juneteenth Heritage Celebration will be presented Saturday, June 17, at the Orion Amphitheater in conjunction with Korbeta, Lac Entertainment and Spokes N Vogue. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Listen and learn the rich history of Juneteenth from Huntsville Revisited orators. Support local Black-owned businesses, farmers, and food trucks. Enjoy LIVE performances in the DOME, at the top of every hour, and worship alongside the oldest African American Congregation in the State of Alabama. Jump into fun in the Artist Meadow Kids Zone full of bounce houses, bubbles, yard games, and more!” theorionhuntsville.com/event/juneteenth-heritage-celebration/.

The Camp at 5909 University Drive will present its third annual Juneteenth Festival starting at noon on Saturday, June 17. The event “will be full of spoken word, history, dance, live bands & of course HipHop & R&B!” www.facebook.com/explorethecamp.

Lakeside United Methodist Church at 3738 Meridian St. N. will host a Juneteenth Freedom Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Mobile

Pulitzer Prize winner Cynthia tucker will be the featured speaker at a free symposium presented by the Mobile Public Library at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15. Tucker and a panel will discuss the relevancy and importance of Juneteenth. No tickets or registration are required. Ben May Main Library, 701 Government St.

Mobile’s Parks and Recreation Department offers a Juneteenth celebration from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the Michael C. Dow Amphitheater in Trinity Gardens Park, 3055 Banks Ave. The event will feature food, vendors and fun.

The city will provide an evening of family fun from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, June 19, at the Hope Community Center, 850 Edwards Street. “Celebrate moving from Freedom to Liberation this Juneteenth at Hope Community Center where the performance group MOYA brings Africa to you through creative song, dance, drums, storytelling, and audience interaction. There will also be a DJ, a living wax museum, and more!”

A Juneteenth Community Health Fair takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at James Seals Park & Community Center, 540 Texas St. Participants include the Mobile County Health Department, which describes the event as “a day of education, community resources, fitness activities, and entertainment.”

Montgomery/Prattville

Montgomery’s Department of Cultural Affairs will present a “Juneteenth R&B Rewind Celebration” from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Riverwalk Amphitheater. The program will feature music by 2nd Coming, Yung Vokalz & The Movement and more. Additional attractions include food trucks, vendors, a kids’ zone, educational presentations and cultural art exhibits. For more information visit www.mgmcityevents.com or call 334-625-2118.

Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum will hold its 18th annual Juneteenth celebration from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in the 200 block of Montgomery Street in downtown Montgomery. The event is free and open to the public and includes local vendors, live performances, a children’s area and free admission to the museum. Entertainment will be presented throughout the day, including headlining jazz, R&B and soul group Off the Chain who will perform at 1:30 p.m. Other performers during the day are Ava Keith, MJ Lyons, Ian Malinowski, Dionn Overton, Damian B, Nameless, Different Flavors of Dance, C-Heights, Mr. Hansome, Aayden Johnson, Duron Hale and Blueroot. DJ at Large will provide DJ services for the day’s event, and Shayla Mitchell will be the master of ceremonies. Other attractions include the 1950s-era Montgomery city bus and a 1960s-era Greyhound bus, provided by the Freedom Rides Museum with a special program, “Catching the THINK BIG SPIRIT” with Levi Gaillard, taking place at 1 p.m. Through the support of Montgomery County Commissioner Isaiah Sankey, Walter Patton from Crown Residential Mortgage will be offering workshops at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on how to build wealth through home ownership. For information call 334-241-8615

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts will hold a free Juneteenth celebration from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 17. Festivities begin with a second-line-style parade featuring Jonathan Michael and the G.W. Carver High School band and flag team at 9 a.m. “Following the parade, visitors can participate in art-making activities by designing their celebratory tambourines and Juneteenth flags. Throughout the morning, attendees will enjoy live music from Jonathan Michael, create sidewalk chalk art inspired by the holiday, and get a family portrait at our photo booth with Juneteenth-inspired flair. Featured artist EL Chisolm, based in Atlanta and a Birmingham native, will lead a collaborative mural project with a reveal of the completed mural near the end of the event. Delicious, free snacks and strawberry lemonade will be available on a first come, first serve basis from the Museum’s cafe, Verde. Inside the Museum, visitors can explore The Bias Inside Us, an exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service designed to raise awareness about the social science and psychology of implicit bias, the impact of this bias, and what people can do about it. Also on view are two exhibitions of youth art by local students from Valiant Cross Academy and the MMFA’s Teen Arts and Activism Camp, with themes that celebrate the role of art in social change.” For more details of the program, visit mmfa.org/event/juneteenth-2023.

North Highland Community Center and CCT Promotions present Autauga County’s second annual Juneteenth Parade & Celebration on Saturday, June 17, with the theme “We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.” Parade line-up starts at 7 a.m. in Mac Gray Park and the parade rolls from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Free festivities follow at North Highland Memorial Community Center. Attractions include a chain-breaking ceremony, live entertainment, music and dance, food and drink and family fun.

Prichard

Juneteenth celebrations as part of the city’s Annual Juneteenth Family Reunion run from Friday, June 16, through Monday, June 19. An opening ceremony and related festivities start at 6 p.m. Friday in Champion Square. The main public celebration takes place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday on Wilson Avenue in downtown Prichard, with attractions including a farmer’s market, a kids’ corner, a Black Wall Street business showcase, a car show, a health fair and a concert. On Sunday, a Family Reunion Picnic and health fair take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Renaissance Park. A closing ceremony and fireworks take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/757885325991094.

Tuscaloosa

On Friday, June 16, the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Foundation will hold a historic churches civil rights tour in conjunction with the NAACP, WAMA, and the Tuscaloosa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. The tour will have presentations at each church with foot soldiers who will tell their stories of the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Movement and the churches’ involvement. For the itinerary, visit www.facebook.com/TuscaloosaCivilRightsTrail.

The Tuscaloosa NAACP and the city of Tuscaloosa Park and Recreation Authority will present a parade and celebration in Palmore Park from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. Attractions include food trucks, vendors and live entertainment. Patrons are welcome to bring tents, chairs and grills.

The Tuscaloosa NAACP will hold its 2023 Juneteenth Living Legend Luncheon at noon on Monday, June 19, honoring Willie Mae Wells. Tickets are $25 and are available through Eventbrite.com.