Celebrating Juneteenth
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is committed to increasing equity, access and opportunity in the art of ballet. We believe that bringing together people with diverse perspectives, histories and life experiences will make ballet richer, stronger and more innovative, resulting in vibrant experiences for all. As part of this commitment, PBT is supportive of Juneteenth events in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Juneteenth National Independence Day, is an annual holiday in the United States that is celebrated to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. It celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, with news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved African American people were free due to the Emancipation Proclamation.
According to Juneteenth.com, “Local and national Juneteenth take place around June 19 with the goal to promote knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture. Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievement while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.”
Companies, arts organizations and professionals across the country often commemorate the holiday with performances, events and exhibits highlighting Black history, art, performers and Black-owned businesses. Pittsburgh has vibrant Juneteenth celebrations throughout the end of June that we hope everyone will enjoy.
Pittsburgh Juneteenth Events From June 19 To 22, 2025
Western PA Juneteenth Festival, June 19-22
Free Outdoor Concert Series every evening,
4:00-10:00 pm | Mellon Park
Juneteenth YouthFest, June 19-22
Youth sports tournaments and hands-on activities for kids and teens.
9 am-4 pm | Mellon Park
Juneteenth Cinema in the Park, June 16-21
Free outdoor movies in Pittsburgh parks at dusk. Schedule:
- Monday, June 16, 2025, Banksville showing “Soul”
- Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Schenley Park at Flagstaff Hill showing “Fences”
- Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Schenley Plaza showing “Fences”
- Friday, June 20, 2025, Arsenal Park showing “Soul”
- Saturday, June 21, 2025, Grandview Park showing “Soul”
- Saturday, June 21, 2025, Riverview Park, at the base of the Observatory, showing “Fences”
Juneteenth Boat Party on the Gateway Clipper, June 19
10:30 pm-1:30 am
Tickets here
August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Performance by the Legacy Arts Project, blending rhythm, movement, and storytelling rooted in the African diaspora.
Intermission: Juneteenth, June 19 | 6:00 -10:00 pm
Juneteenth Celebrity Softball Game, June 20
Annual Juneteenth Negro League AmateurBaseball Exhibition with local activist and community leaders in honor of the Pittsburgh Negro League Teams – the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays.
4:30 pm | Mellon Park Field #3
Juneteenth Freedom Parade, June 21
11:00 am | Parade begins at 5th & Liberty Avenues Downtown
Pittsburgh Year-Round Exhibits Celebrating Black Pittsburghers and History
Year-round exhibits detailing Black Pittsburghers’ lives, histories and contributions to the city and its culture can be found at:
Heinz History Center
“From Slavery to Freedom” Exhibit
This exhibit details more than 250 years of Black history in America and Pittsburgh.
“Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation” Exhibit
- Learn about the Freedom House Ambulance Service, a trailblazing agency that trained Black men and women as paramedics to deliver desperately needed emergency medical care to the Hill District, Pittsburgh’s largest African American neighborhood.
- Step inside Pittsburgh’s premier jazz club, the Crawford Grill, and listen to music from some of history’s most prominent jazz musicians, such as George Benson, Billy Strayhorn, Stanley Turrentine, and Mary Lou Williams.
“Negro League Baseball” Exhibit
In the 1930s and 1940s, Pittsburgh was the center of Negro League baseball and home to two of the Negro League’s most dominant teams – the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. From 1937 to 1945 the Homestead Grays won an unprecedented nine consecutive league pennants and three Negro League World Series titles.
August Wilson African American Cultural Center
This center frequently hosts celebrations of African American cultural achievements through music, visual art, poetry, literary works, lectures, discussions, film, theater and exhibits. One of its standing exhibits is
August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape
An immersive exhibit is dedicated to the life and works of Pittsburgh Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright and poet August Wilson.
Freedom Corner
Located at the intersection of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street in the Hill District, this monument marks a critical point in Pittsburgh’s Civil Rights history. Protests were frequently held here and in 1963, more than 2,000 Pittsburghers departed from here for Washington, DC to watch Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. give his famous “I Have A Dream” speech.