Atlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, so it is hardly surprising that the city has a robust schedule of Juneteenth celebrations.
Many of those events revolve around the arts. Listed below are some of the arts-related Juneteenth celebrations taking place, and most of them are free.
MUSIC
Challenge the Stats, in partnership with The Atlanta Opera, will present a Juneteenth Jubilee Saturday at 8 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. The concert will feature internationally-acclaimed soprano Indra Thomas and Atlanta favorite Okorie “OkCello” Johnson. Works by Atlanta composers Joel Thompson, B.E. Boykin and Uzee Brown will be presented, along with the Juneteenth Community Choir, directed by Verena Lucia Anders. Challenge the Stats is a nonprofit established to empower classical artists of color, using music as a tool for social justice. The event is free, but tickets are required.
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The Atlanta chapter of the NAACP will host the Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom concert at the Downtown Commons in East Point Saturday at 5 p.m. Featured artists are The William Bryant Band, Keith Washington, Angela Winbush, and Joyce Irby and Kylmaxx. Vendors and food trucks will be on-site, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. The event is free but tickets are encouraged.
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The Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival kicks off Friday at noon and runs through Sunday at Centennial Olympic Park. The celebrated parade starts at noon on Saturday. The three-day event will feature national music artists on four stages, including Can Cool, Tommy Phenom, CodyB, Greg Walker and Aqeela Reyad. There will also be speakers, a youth area, 400 community vendors and an artist’s market, food trucks and an Aboriginal drum and dance pow wow. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
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THEATER
On Saturday in Forest Park, the dramedy Black Girl Therapy will be presented by Tre Productions. In this moving play, six Black women who are all strangers to each other attend a group therapy session and find themselves no longer strangers in the end. Parental supervision is advised; dinner and drinks will be available for purchase. Tickets start at $30.
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The Wiz opens this week at True Colors Theatre Company and runs through July 2. In a recent interview with ArtsATL editor-at-large Jim Farmer, Artistic Director Jamil Jude said, “If you love the city of Atlanta, you are going to love this production.” Farmer writes that “the cast and crew are all local, with Jeshua TedyP Williams, known for his work in gospel, hip-hop and R&B, acting as the show’s music producer.” Tickets start at $20. (Photo by ELEY/@eley_photo)
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The gospel musical Where’s My Godly Man? will be presented at Stone Mountain’s Atrium on Saturday. Written and produced by Evans Louissaint, this musical tells the story of Kendra, a 30-year-old businesswoman who is on the quest for love — until she discovers her spiritual side. Tickets start at $40.
FILM+TV
Experience a special screening of the 1978 movie version of The Wiz this weekend at The Home Depot Backyard, kicking off the summer film series. The film stars Diana Ross as Dorothy, and other cast members include Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. Tickets are free, but registration is required.
ART+DESIGN
Celebrate what the organizers are calling Atlanta’s “cultural underbelly” of art and music at TILA Studios and Sweetgreen’s Juneteenth Block Party. Expect work by Black women visual artists, a live photo booth with photographer Phyllis Iller, an art market and a vintage ’90s pop-up market and music by DJ Boogie Lov. Sweetgreen at Ponce City Market. Saturday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free.
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The Atlanta Quilt Festival has partnered with the City of South Fulton for its Juneteenth celebratory exhibit, Freedom Quilts! These original quilts will showcase different quilting techniques, all with the theme of freedom. Opening reception Saturday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Through the end of July. The full Atlanta Quilt Festival 2023 will take place August 4 through September 2. Free, but an RSVP is requested.
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The Atlanta History Center is honoring the history of Black genealogy and agricultural practices on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The immersive experience will feature live music, storytelling, interactive crafts and food. Workshops and talks will provide insights into the history of Juneteenth and offer tips on how to research a family tree — it’s also Father’s Day! — and preserve family artifacts. Free, but donations are encouraged.
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On Saturday at 2:45 p.m., the Black Art in America gallery will present an artist talk panel, Masters to Emerging, with Alfred Conteh, Phyllis Stephens, Darius S. Parker and Honey Pierre. Print maker Jamaal Barber will moderate. Free.
