What is Journey to Juneteenth?
While Juneteenth (June 19) is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of emancipation, freedom was proclaimed in Florida on May 20, 1865, nearly two-years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation. One month later, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers finally arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were free.

The City of Gainesville’s month-long Journey to Juneteenth celebration, from Florida Emancipation Day (May 20) through the widely-recognized Juneteenth holiday (June 19), honors the long and turbulent journey to freedom, while staying true to our history of Florida Emancipation on May 20.
Journey to Juneteenth Calendar of Events
Friday, May 20 | Emancipation Day
9 a.m., City Hall Plaza, 200 E. University Ave.

5 p.m., Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, 837 SE Seventh Ave.
Saturday, May 21
1 p.m., Waldo Branch Library, 15150 NE US Highway 301, Waldo

4 p.m., Depot Park, 874 SE Fourth St.

7 p.m., Depot Park, 874 SE Fourth St.
Friday, May 27
7-9 p.m., Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave.
Friday, June 3
5-8 p.m., Thomas Center Galleries, 302 NE Sixth Ave.

Saturday, June 4
1-4 p.m., Thomas Center Galleries, 302 NE Sixth Ave.

Sunday, June 5
3-4 p.m., Newberry Branch Library, 110 South Seaboard Dr., Newberry

4 p.m., A Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, 1013 NW Seventh Ave.

Friday, June 10
7 p.m., A Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, 1013 NW Seventh Ave.

Saturday, June 11
7 p.m., A Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, 1013 NW Seventh Ave.

Sunday, June 12
11 a.m.-4 p.m., Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave.

2:30 p.m., Alachua Branch Library, 14913 NW 140 St., Alachua

Tuesday, June 14
3 p.m., Archer Branch Library, 13266 SW State Road 45, Archer

Wednesday, June 15
10:30 a.m., Library Headquarters, 401 E. University Ave.

4 p.m., Library Headquarters, 401 E. University Ave.

Thursday, June 16
10:30 a.m., Depot Park, 874 SE Fourth St.

5:30-8 p.m., Thomas Center, 302 NE Sixth Ave.

Friday, June 17
7:30 a.m., Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, 837 SE Seventh Ave.

Saturday, June 18
7-11 a.m., Depot Park, 874 SE Fourth St.

12-4 p.m., Shady Grove Church, 804 SW Fifth St.

5-9 p.m., Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave.

Sunday, June 19 | Juneteenth
6 p.m., A Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, 1013 NW Seventh Ave.

3-5 p.m., Clarence R. Kelly Center and Park, 1708 NE Eighth Ave.
Special thanks to our sponsors and community partners!