The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM), Central New Jersey’s only African American history museum sharing the history of Black Americans since the trans-Atlantic slave trade, will hold its second annual Juneteenth celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17.
“Freedom Forward,” is a family-friendly event that aims to educate, celebrate, and promote unity and cohesion within the culturally diverse community.
The event will feature music by the Jon Ware Quintet featuring Gina Ware, a youth rock band from the Allegra School of Music and Arts, opera singer Dr. Sonya Headlam, an original play written by Ryan Kilpatrick and performed by youth actors from the Allegra School of Music and Arts, original poetry by Olivia Altiidor, a youth poet from Hillsborough High School, a stone mosaic workshop from Emmy award-winning educator and artist Dr. Ronah Harris, and a family tree heritage workshop led by the Morven Museum.
The event will feature classic African American barbecue from The Big Easy of Trenton and vegan food options from Mukolee Food Truck. The day will also feature a Juneteenth museum exhibit and activities in the museum’s Heritage Garden and tours of the grounds. The family-friendly event will have games and activities for all to enjoy.
It will take place at SSAAM, a National Historic-Registered Mt. Zion AME church in Skillman, N.J., and the adjacent True Farmstead, a historically African American-owned farmstead.
Free shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes from 11:45 a.m. through 3:15 p.m. at Montgomery High School parking lot to and from the event on Hollow Road in Skillman. Limited parking will be available at the True Farmstead for the handicapped, those with limited mobility, event vendors and performers. All others should take shuttle buses.
For information on how to sponsor “Freedom Forward,” purchase a vendor table, and tickets, visit https://www.ssaamuseum.org/juneteenth.
Adult general admission is $25 by online pre-sale only and $30 at the venue; tickets for children 14 and under are $15 pre-sale and $20 at the venue.
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