Art exhibit, block party and more: How to celebrate Juneteenth in Centre County
Penn State will observe the federal holiday of Juneteenth for the first time on Monday, and there are a number of ways to join celebrations through the weekend.
Juneteenth (a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth”) marks the day the last enslaved people in Texas learned that they were freed. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill that designated the date as a federal holiday.
To mark the occasion, the university is hosting several events that are open to the public. There will also be a Juneteenth Celebration coordinated by the State College NAACP, the Borough of State College, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, and The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Here’s a guide celebrating Juneteenth in Centre County.
Thursday, 2 p.m.
Sign up to livestream the Annenberg Classroom’s documentary, “Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom Stories.”
Friday, 5-8 p.m.
View the second annual Juneteenth Exhibition at Woskob Family Gallery in downtown State College. Titled “Freedom, Unity, Equity and Peace,” it includes two- and three- dimensional works.
Saturday, noon-5 p.m.
In the 100 block of South Fraser street, the State College NAACP, the Penn State Center for Performing Arts, and the MLK Plaza Committee will host a block party featuring food trucks, music and Black vendors. There will be activities for kids and adults.
Monday, 10 a.m.
Kids ages 3-12 and their families are invited to celebrate Juneteenth with activities, songs, stories and education about the end of slavery in the United States at Schlow Centre Region Library.
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