Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 as an important day in U.S. history when enslaved African American people heard about the abolition of slavery. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, it took 2.5 years for word to reach as far as Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth marks the day when freedom from slavery became a reality for all African Americans in the former Confederate States of America.

Click here to learn more history about Juneteenth History.

Click here to learn about the Juneteenth Flag

 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Sat., June 15 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The African-American Advisory Committee presents the 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration to educate the community and celebrate freedom from slavery in the United States. The celebration will be held at Tempe History Museum, 809 E Southern Avenue, Tempe, 85282. This free, family-friendly event will include hands-on activities, performances, vendors, story time, a video game trailer, Police and Fire vehicles, food truck vendor and more!

Event Highlights

Indoor Stage

• Honor Guard 
• Performance by Prime Society
  
• Presentation of Proclamations from the City of Tempe and the State of Arizona
• Presentation of AAAC Scholarship and other awards

Table Displays and Information

• Exhibitors
• Community Resources
• Vendors

Children's Hands-On Activities

Food Trucks and Vendors

• Smitty's Kitchen
• Buzznbeez
• Bereisheet129
• Cuties Lemonade
• Snowie Town Snow Cones

Video Game Trailer

Story Time - Children's Books Read by Local Community Heroes

Health and Safety Info

• If you're not feeling well, please stay home and plan to join us next year!

Previous Celebrations
Tempe's 2021 and 2020 Juneteenth celebrations were live streamed through Facebook. Visit the AAAC page to watch the recordings. (click the "Previous Juneteenth Events" drop-down menu to access recording links)

Additional Juneteenth celebrations

These celebrations are not presented by the African American Advisory Committee but they are occurring in Tempe, for those who would like additional opportunities to come together.

Downtown Tempe - Sat., June 15 from 7-11 p.m.
Arizona Heritage Center - Sun., June 16 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.