(WSVN) - On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.
Juneteenth takes place on Saturday with several events across South Florida.
Miami-Dade County
- North Miami Beach: The City of North Miami Beach will host “Juneteenth, a Liberation Celebration” on Saturday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include powerful speakers, family-friendly activities, a kids’ corner and a liberation soul brunch with a DJ, cocktails and soul food. The event will take place at the Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater, 17011 NE 19th Ave.
- Miami Beach: The City of Miami Beach will commemorate the 156th Juneteenth Independence Day with a full day of artistic and educational programs – beginning with a gathering at Pride Park, located at 1809 Meridian Ave., on Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. A permanent plaque will be installed to remember the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States while honoring the contributions of Black Americans.
- West Miami-Dade: Florida International University will mark the start of a new tradition with the first Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration. This free community event will be the culmination of a week-long celebration of Juneteenth on campus, commemorating African American freedom and achievement. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Earlene and Albert Dotson Pavilion Lawn MARC building, Modesto Maidique Campus (MMC) located at 11200 Southwest 8th St.
- Miami Gardens: The City of Miami Gardens will host a Juneteeth Park-in and Party drive-up celebration event on Saturday. The event starts at 4 p.m. and will take place at the Calder Casino, located at 21001 NW 27 Ave. in Parking Lot E.
- Opa-Locka: The city will host a Juneteenth Festival on Saturday. This free event will feature live entertainment, visual and performing art, interactive workshops, food, and family-friendly fun. Dr. Joanne Hyppolite, a curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, will also lead a historic remembrance of the Emancipation. The festivities will take place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. inside the ARC and on the surrounding grounds, located at 675 Ali Baba Ave.
Broward County
- Tamarac: The City of Tamarac will host its first official Juneteenth celebration on Saturday. This free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Caporella Park, 5200 Prospect Rd. Activities include presentations by two storytellers, dance performances by Delou African Dance Ensemble and Vision Dance, a poetry presentation, games, a live DJ and more. Attendees will also enjoy an ice cream treat.
- Deerfield Beach: The African American Heritage Board, along with the City of Deerfield Beach, will host an Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration presented by JM Family Enterprise Inc. This free, family-friendly event includes a car show and rib grill-off competition at Oveta McKeithen Recreational Complex, located at 445 SW 2nd St. on Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Coral Springs: On Saturday, the city will host an in-person commemoration at Sportsplex Tom Messenheimer Field, located at 2575 Sportsplex Dr., in honor of Juneteenth. Gates open at 5 p.m. with main stage entertainment from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The commemoration will include a reading of the emancipation proclamation, Spoken Word by May Rain with visual artist Jaquale Rhule and special performances by international blues singer-songwriter, Kat Riggins and the Valerie Tyson Band.
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