Parade, street festival to help commemorate Juneteenth Day

The annual Juneteenth Day celebration, taking place Thursday, June 19, is a nationwide event commemorating freedom proclaimed to all enslaved people of African descent in the South by Union General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, nearly two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. 2025 marks the 54th recognition of Juneteenth in Milwaukee, making the city’s celebration one of the longest running in the country.

“Juneteenth Day means so much to so many in our community, and should serve as a time to observe, reflect, and celebrate, as well as become energized to tackle important issues still in front of us,” said Alderwoman Milele A Coggs, whose district hosts the annual parade and street festival. “With the addition of Juneteenth activities at Summerfest this year, the 2025 celebration will be the largest one yet, and I encourage the community to join in and have fun during the full day of events.”

The day begins with the Juneteenth Parade starting at 9 a.m. followed by opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. The parade starts at North 14th Street and West Atkinson Avenue, travels south to King Drive, then east to Locust Street. The parade can be viewed live on TMJ4 and TMJ4.com. The street festival runs from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and takes place on King Drive between West Concordia and West Center streets. The festival includes food, vendors, music, games, community resources and more. The parade and festival are hosted by Northcott Neighborhood House.

New this year, Juneteenth Day festivities will extend to the Summerfest grounds. The community is invited to join in celebrating music and culture with Juneteenth programming at Summerfest on the evening of Thursday, June 19 starting at 6 p.m. Additional information can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.