Chapel Hill Review

The Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro will host their annual Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday, June 16, from 2-6 p.m. at Hargraves Community Center, located at 216 N. Roberson St. in Chapel Hill. The event, which celebrates Black history, culture, and liberation, is organized in collaboration with the Hargraves Community Center and Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources.

Attendees can expect a variety of activities including:

- A market and expo featuring Black artisans, Black-owned businesses, and local non-profits. Arts vendors will offer items ranging from crochet to painted figurines and homemade soaps.

- Speeches from local community members such as Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee and James Cates Scholars.

- Performances by acts including steel drummer Mickey Mills, genre-bending soul and hip-hop band Social Construkt, singer Rayah, and local jump-roping group Bouncing Bulldogs. DJ Twitty will provide music between sets.

- A Transcribe-A-Thon hosted by the Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History. Attendees can transcribe short interview clips from oral histories recorded with current and former residents of historically Black neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

- A children’s zone featuring face painters and a collaborative chalk mural. The Chapel Hill Public Library’s Circulator will also showcase books celebrating Black liberation and culture.

- Local food trucks serving barbecue, Creole cuisine, East African dishes, and sweets.

This marks the fourth year that Chapel Hill and Carrboro have organized the Juneteenth celebration since proclaiming its observance in 2020. Each year has seen increased community engagement in the planning process.

“Working on the Juneteenth Celebration planning committee has been an eye-opening experience – learning about the intentional ways committee members gather community feedback,” said Brentton Harrison, a Recreational Assistant at Hargraves Community Center. “There are still ways in which the town and its committees can learn to be in community with those who they serve if real relationships are built.”

Michelle Blume, Recreation Supervisor for Carrboro Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources added: “What I am looking forward to is seeing this Juneteenth Celebration come together after several months of meetings and planning with key stakeholders in the community... This event will be able to highlight cultural enrichment with several vendors, food trucks, music performances... Dynamic speakers [and] youth voices will be heard throughout.”

Parking for attendees will be available at nearby Northside Elementary School or public lots downtown that are free on Sundays. Parking lots at Hargraves Community Center will be reserved for vendors, event staff, and ADA spaces. More information about downtown parking is available at parkonthehill.com.

Attendees are encouraged to walk, bike or use Chapel Hill Transit services; routes include direct service via the A Route as well as nearby J Route and CW Route from Carrboro. Shuttles will run between Hargraves Community Center and Northside Elementary School.

For more information about the Juneteenth celebration visit chapelhillcarrborojuneteenth.org.