Travel

Where to Celebrate Juneteenth Around the Country This Year

Coming off its first year as a federal holiday, the Jubilee Day festivities are just getting started.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Entertainment
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Entertainment
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Entertainment

Hit up a Juneteenth celebration and you might partake in a homogenous spread of red foods: watermelon and red velvet cake, red soda and hibiscus tea, red sausages and strawberry pie. Festive and delicious, but also sobering-the colour is believed to symbolize the struggle and bloodshed of African Americans. This June 19 marks 157 years since Union troops galloped into Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced to the 250,000 people still enslaved in the state that they were legally free.

Though the Emancipation Proclamation technically went into effect two years earlier in 1863, it took longer for it to be implemented in states ruled by the Confederacy, and the westernmost Confederate state of Texas was the last to be notified. “Juneteenth” became a day of celebration by the newly freed population, first documented in Austin in 1867, and introduced to the rest of the country during the Great Migration. For decades, thanks to a combination of Jim Crow-era restrictions and plain old racism, the holiday was mostly celebrated behind closed doors by African American households.

The Civil Rights Movement brought renewed popularity to the holiday, which both honours our nation’s second day of independence and acknowledges the battles still yet to be won. In 1980, Juneteenth became a statewide holiday in Texas, with 47 states following suit. But it wasn’t until the racial reckoning of 2020 that many Americans were even made aware of the holiday. A campaign was soon launched to recognize it federally, and in 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday-which means one year later, the party is just getting started.

Here are some of the best and most compelling Juneteenth-AKA Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, or Liberation Day-celebrations going down around the US this year.

Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images
Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images
Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images

Montgomery, Alabama

In part due to a 1950s bus boycott that forever changed the course of history, Montgomery is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. And they throw a Juneteenth bash to match. On June 18, the Rosa Parks Museum hosts the 7th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, with free admission, live music and vendors, and an authentic 1950s Montgomery city bus on display. On June 17 comes Manifest Liberty Gala: A Multi-Generational Gathering, which emphasizes storytelling and song, and on June 18, the Riverwalk Amphitheater is where you’ll find Global African Diaspora Heritage Day, an evening roster of spoken word, theatre, crafts, poetry, literature, food trucks, and at least one aerialist.

Alexandria, Virginia

This May, the Freedom House Museum reopened in Alexandria, stashed in what remains of a large complex used in the trafficking of thousands of Black men, women, and children from 1828 to 1861. Three new exhibitions are on view: 1315 Duke Street, which includes archaeological artifacts and stories of those trafficked in the slave trade; Determined, which traces four centuries of Black history in Virginia; and Before the Spirits Are Swept Away, a series of paintings by the late Sherry Z. Sanabria depicting historically significant African American sites. The museum is set to celebrate its grand reopening on June 20, the date of this year’s federally observed Juneteenth holiday.

Richmond, Virginia

It’s been said that one in four African Americans can trace their origins back to Richmond, Virginia. The city was at the centre of the slave trade in the country, and their Emancipation and Freedom Monument is one of the few nationwide that commemorates those enslaved. On Saturday, June 18, the area’s free Juneteenth festivities are taking over Dorey Park in nearby Henrico County, complete with a kids zone, vendors, and fireworks. Visitors can also retrace the actual path of enslaved peoples by walking along the self-guided Richmond Slave Trail, which includes 17 markers chronicling the history of enslavement in the area.

Courtesy of Visit Galveston
Courtesy of Visit Galveston
Courtesy of Visit Galveston

Galveston, Texas

As you can imagine, the birthplace of Juneteenth goes all out for its celebrations, not all of which you have to be present to witness. This year, kick things off with a free webinar on June 15. Titled Where it All Began, you’ll hear stories from local historians and organizations dedicated to preserving the stories and memories from that day. June 17 brings the Emancipation Celebration to The Grand 1894 Opera House, with a gospel choir and award presentation, while June 18th sets the stage for the annual Juneteenth Proclamation Reading (you can see what that looks like here). It’s followed by a decked-out parade and day-long festival. While you’re there, check out the self-guided freedom walk or African American history tour and make sure you see Absolute Equality, a new 5,000-square-foot mural unveiled last year.

Houston, Texas

Less than an hour away from Galveston, Houston’s Juneteenth celebration mirrors its state’s massive size. In 1872, a group of formerly enslaved people purchased 10 acres of land and began using the plot for their own Juneteenth observances. Emancipation Park, as it’s known, was the only public park and swimming pool in Houston open to African Americans until the 1950s. Over 150 years later, the festivities keep on keeping on, launching June 1 and culminating in a two-day salute with performances by the The Isley Brothers and Kool & the Gang on June 18, followed by Sheila E. and Frankie Beverly & Maze on June 19.

Megan Varner/Getty Images News
Megan Varner/Getty Images News
Megan Varner/Getty Images News

Atlanta, Georgia

MLK Jr.’s birthplace is the go-to in Georgia for Juneteenth festivities, with free events and concerts sprinkled around the area, including an evening with author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi at Agnes Scott College introducing his new children’s book, Goodnight Racism. The Juneteenth Atlanta Parade & Music Festival in Centennial Olympic Park is now in its 10th year, spanning over 300 Black-owned booths, historical reenactments, and two stages. While you’re in the area, stop by the Historic Oakland Cemetery for a self-guided tour, taking you past the resting place of influential icons like Carrie Steele Logan, founder of Atlanta’s first orphanage for African American children, and Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first African American mayor.

St. Augustine, Florida

Black history runs deep in St. Augustine, where, in 1738, African Americans established the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in the US. Now Fort Mose Historic State Park, the site was also one of the original stops on the Southern Underground Railroad, serving as a sanctuary for escaped British slaves. This Juneteenth, St. Augustine will host two free chamber orchestra concerts covering spirituals and works by African American composers: One on June 18 at the St. James Missionary Baptist Church, which dates back to 1898, and the second on June 19at the stately Cathedral Basilica, established in 1793.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment
Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment
Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment

Denver, Colorado

Denver’s Juneteenth celebrations have been happening for 70 years, so you know they know what they’re doing. 30,000 people are expected to descend upon the historically African American Five Points neighbourhood for the Juneteenth Music Festival, starting with a concert headlined by Dave East and Twista, then rolling into a full weekend of live music, vendors, food stalls, art murals, and the longest-running parade in Colorado.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

The former home of Black Wall Street throws a free weekend-long Juneteenth Festival each year, stocked with concerts, food, and entertainment along Greenwood Avenue, plus wellness events and interactive art installations. While you’re there, check out Greenwood Rising, a new world-class institution focused on the neighbourhood’s powerful legacy and historical impact. Entry to the museum is free.

NurPhoto/Getty Images
NurPhoto/Getty Images
NurPhoto/Getty Images

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The birthplace of democracy has come a long way since their first Juneteenth parade in 2016. Mingle with 25,000 attendees in West Philadelphia on June 19 to see floats, dancers, vendors, and community leaders, followed by a festival in Malcolm X Park. Or head across town to the free block party at the African American Museum in Philadelphia to catch a performance by Talib Kweli and other special guests (including a magician). Elsewhere, Kennett Square is the place to be for the Journeying toward Freedom Festival, which runs June 18 – 19.

Brooklyn, New York

For Juneteenth in New York, Brooklyn is the borough of choice. On June 18, Linden Park in East New York, the site of a long-running celebration, will host performances and food trucks, while the Weeksville Heritage Center breaks out all the red foods for a Juneteenth food festival from June 18 to June 19. On June 19, Prospect Park BRIC will throw the free UNITYFEST concert, co-presented by the Robert Randolph Foundation and featuring Randolph himself alongside Deborah Cox, Mali Music, and others. Over at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Urban Park Rangers will conduct talks about the abolitionist movement in Brooklyn, while the party people behind House of Yes are putting on their own free Unityfest shindig, “under the K bridge.”

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit’s Juneteenth Freedom Fest has all the usual suspects: a huge block party, art installations, and a Jubilee stroll through Black-owned businesses. But they’ve also remembered that Sunday, June 19 doubles as Father’s Day, so included in the festivities is a “Cool Dad Contest.” Think your dad has what it takes? Nominations are now open. Elsewhere, the Juneteenth Jubilee Freedom Weekend at the Charles H. Wright Museum emphasizes the history of the holiday, with documentaries, a concert, and an Underground Railroad treasure hunt hitting five historic sites around Detroit.

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Vanita Salisbury is Thrillist’s Senior Travel Writer. 

Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

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