Mercer County has a number of events lined up to celebrate Juneteenth and Pride Month.
Juneteenth
What We Commemorate on Juneteenth – A Discussion will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 13 as a virtual program at the Mercer County Library System. For more information call (609) 882-3148 or visit mcl.org.
Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021, but do we really understand what this day represents? Dr. Richard Bell, professor of History at the University of Maryland, discusses the struggles of enslaved African Americans during the Civil War and the events leading up to their emancipation on June 19, 1865.
The African American Cultural Collaborative of Mercer County will hold a Juneteenth Festival from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, June 15 at the Mercer County Park Festival Grounds, 1638 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. For more information call (609) 474-4073, email trentonaapride@gmail.com, or visit taacf.com/juneteenth-performers.
The festival will feature music, performances, food, and other festivities. Hosted by Kevin “Deekay” Francois, this day-long celebration will feature singer Vivian Green, and other performances by Farafina Kan, Lin Rountree, DJ Fatha Ramzee, Cintron Band, Chelsey Green and the Green Project, DJ Ed Ward, Queen Samut, and more
Attend a day of Juneteenth festivities in Princeton from 1-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Kick off the day with a Flag Raising with the Municipality of Princeton at Monument Plaza. At 4 p.m., head over to Morven Museum& Garden, 55 Stockton St., to participate in the community gathering with crafts and educational ties with partnering anti-racist organizations from the greater Princeton area. Step inside an antique phone booth recording studio, as part of the “Let Freedom Ring” project, where you’ll be prompted to record your own reflections, thoughts, hopes, and dreams for Juneteenth and the future. For more information call (609) 497-0020, email info@princetonsymphony.org or visit princetonsymphony.org.
The finale of the celebration is a concert featuring Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass” among other choral selections conducted by Vinroy D. Brown. He will be leading the joint choral forces of the Capital Singers of Princeton, Caritas Chamber Chorale, and Elmwood Concert Singers, in addition to vocalists from St. David the King and Union Baptist Church in Trenton. Come be a part of this community-wide event and get your tickets for the evening performance starting at 7 p.m.
Juneteenth Black-owned business marketplace will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 22 at Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center for Health and Wellness – Conference Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Road. For more information email info@sbdcnj.com.
LGBTQ+ and Pride Month
LGBTQ Film Screening of “A League of Their Own” will show at 2 p.m. June 9 at the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. For more information call (609) 883-8292 or visit mcl.org.
Trenton Pride Afters Trenton Pride Center to hold a Trenton Social from 8-11:30 p.m. June 22 at 449 S. Broad St.
