Juneteenth Kicks Off In Alexandria With Juneteenth Jubilee, Bus Tours

ALEXANDRIA, VA — With Alexandria having its own history associated with slavery, Juneteenth has plenty of significance for the city today.

The Wednesday, June 19, federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a federal holiday, the first since the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

Juneteenth observances in Alexandria will kick off with Culture Queen: Juneteenth Jubilee at Beatley Central Library's Reading Garden at 10:30 a.m. on June 14. Grammy-nominated performer Culture Queen will perform a musical storytelling show to honor the meaning of the Juneteenth holiday.

Manumission Tour Company, which is run by fourth generation Alexandrian and Councilmember John Taylor Chapman, will offer a Juneteenth African American History Bus Tour on June 15 and 16. The tour will visit historic sites telling stories of African Americans in early Alexandria, including historic African American churches.

Other Juneteenth events in and around Alexandria include:

• Carlyle House's annual Juneteenth celebration: June 19, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices’ Juneteenth Holiday at Market Square: June 19, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  
• Juneteenth Bench Dedication at Charles Houston Recreation Center: June 22, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Freedom Before Emancipation: Family Days for Juneteenth at George Washington’s Mount Vernon: June 19 to 22
  
• Juneteenth at Houston (Charles Houston Recreation Center): June 22, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Another option is to visit Alexandria's Freedom House Museum, located on the historical site of one of the country's largest slave trade companies. The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 19 and features three exhibitions showcasing Alexandria’s Black history and the Black experience in America. Visitors can learn about the enslaved and free Black people who lived in and were trafficked through Alexandria, stories from the Civil Rights Movement and more.

The Alexandria Black History Museum will also be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 19. The museum features exhibitions like Preserving their Names: The Black Lives Remembered Collection with digital images and artifacts donated from the community in the D.C. region following George Floyd's killing. There is a children’s area offers with thought-provoking and age-appropriate activities. This summer, the museum is preparing to open the Moss Kendrix Collection, spotlighting the D.C.-based marketing pioneer who revolutionized how African Americans were depicted in the media in the mid-20th century.

Visit Alexandria has also compiled a list of Black-owned businesses to visit.

Because Juneteenth is an official U.S. holiday, banks, federal offices and post offices in and near Alexandria will be closed Wednesday. Many state and local government offices and other services will be closed as well, including:

• Alexandria city government offices
• Alexandria City Public Schools
• Alexandria General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Court Service Unit, Circuit Court, and the Clerk of Circuit Court
• Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
• Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
• Alexandria Health Department
• Impound lot

Most recreation centers (Charles Houston Recreation Center and Patrick Henry Recreation Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Garbage and recycling pickup regularly scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday will be delayed by one day.

Related: When Is Juneteenth? What To Know About Holiday Marking Slavery’s End