The second annual Juneteenth at the Mercer Museum celebration returns Sunday, June 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., presented by Doylestown Juneteenth, the African Diaspora Collective of Bucks County, the PairUP Society, the Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, the NAACP of Bucks County, and the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle.
Highlights of the day include speakers, live performances, musicians, a DJ, food trucks, vendors and artisans, family-friendly crafts and activities, and free admission to the Mercer Museum. The celebration is free to the public and will be held rain or shine.
Juneteenth, known as Freedom Day or Juneteenth Independence Day, commemorates the anniversary of the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they were free. This took place in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863.
The second annual Juneteenth at the Mercer Museum is sponsored in part by Bucks County Community College and Penn Community Bank.
“In a time where there is so much divide, actions being taken to ban books about Black historical figures and limit the teaching of Black History, the annual celebration of cultural events like Juneteenth is an opportunity to create the sense of community, inclusion and belonging for Black families in Bucks County. Through this annual event it is our hope to celebrate, educate, uplift and empower our growing and diverse community,” said Adrienne King, founder and board president of The PairUP Society, Inc.
A free DART Bus shuttle will run a continuous loop between the Mercer Museum and the Bucks County Parking Garage located at Broad and Court streets in downtown Doylestown between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking is very limited at the Mercer Museum, and guests are highly encouraged to use the free shuttle or obey local street parking regulations. Information is at mercermuseum.org/Juneteenth and will be updated regularly before the event.
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