The Annapolis Juneteenth Planning Committee and the City of Annapolis are hosting the second annual Juneteenth celebration with a VIP Reception and Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 17th, and a parade and festival on Saturday, June 18. Traditionally, June 19 is known as Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
The two-day Juneteenth celebration will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 17th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (173 Jennifer Road in Annapolis). The cost is $100. There will be a cocktail hour from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the gala and awards ceremony from 6 to 10 p.m. African attire is requested but not required. See below for links to purchase tickets.
The celebration continues Saturday, June 18th, with a parade and festival. The parade will begin at the Annapolis City Dock at noon. City Dock is not only home to the Alex Haley Memorial but is also a designated “UNESCO Middle Passage Site of Remembrance,” indicating the role of the Annapolis port as a destination for the trade of human cargo. The parade will continue up Main Street and end at Maryland Hall/the Bates Athletic Complex. During the parade, there will be rolling road closures.
The parade will conclude at the Bates Athletic Complex, where there will be a festival with live music and entertainment, vendors, food, and a Freedom Way display from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m., followed by a fireworks display. Admission to the festival is free.
- For gala ticket information: https://tinyurl.com/Annapolis-Juneteenth-Gala.
- To register to participate in the parade or festival, visit: www.theannapolisjuneteenth.org.
CITY CLOSURES: City of Annapolis offices will be closed on Monday, June 20, recognizing Juneteenth. The Pip Moyer Recreation Center will operate on a regular schedule while the Stanton Center will be closed. Refuse, and recycling schedules will not be affected. Annapolis Transit will operate on a regular schedule.
PARKING: Festival parking at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is set at $10 with free shuttles to and from Bates Athletic Complex from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Downtown parking locations include Gott’s and Knighton garages with a free shuttle to Main Street. For parking information, visit www.AccessAnnapolis.com.
For more information and to receive direct alerts from the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management (OEM) during the event, attendees can text “JUNE2022” to 38276. Attendees are encouraged to download the PrepareMe Annapolis app to receive OEM and event information.
