On a national level, Juneteenth just became a federal holiday in 2021, but in Memphis, we’ve been celebrating it for as long as I can remember. Keep reading for the significance of this day in Memphis and the many ways we plan to celebrate it.
On a national level, Juneteenth just became a federal holiday in 2021, but in Memphis, we’ve been celebrating it for as long as I can remember. Keep reading for the significance of this day in Memphis and the many ways we plan to celebrate it.
Memphis is the epicenter for culture and history. The hub for music, food and soul. Between our grit 'n' grind, you will find our heart, and in our roots you will find out that African American culture and Memphian culture are intertwined.
So, why celebrate Juneteenth in Memphis?
We celebrate Juneteenth out loud, from Beale Street to Orange Mound. Playing music by Black artists, hosting festivals that drip in red, black and green, the smell of barbecue gracing the air, and the memories we get to create that last us a lifetime.
Memphis, the city that gave us Beale Street where we had the liberty to exercise Black creativity through music – giving birth to rock n’ roll, home to the blues and the expansion of hip-hop culture that has given us so many of our favorite artists.
So if you don’t listen to me and know why you should spend Juneteenth with us, then listen to Louis Armstrong as he sang in Beale Street Blues, “I’d rather be there than anyplace I know.”
Left to right: (Top) TONE Juneteenth Festival, Shop Black Festival, (Bottom) TONE Juneteenth Family Reunion
Juneteenth is the day that African-American slaves were finally made free; it’s the day we get to honor the struggles and the victories of those that came before us.
That’s why Memphis is the perfect place to commemorate Juneteenth. We get to take pride in being the city that houses the first community that was built for and by African Americans. The community of Orange Mound, or as we like to call it “The Mound,” and in the Mound Juneteenth is celebrated through remembrance and excellence.
Memphis, the most beautiful land in the world.
We celebrate with intentionality, so you can bring your family and friends to celebrate with you. Our culturally congruent spaces are here so that you can be surrounded by the past, present and future of African Americans, to truly honor those that came before us as we look ahead to a brighter future.
So why celebrate Juneteenth in Memphis? The real question is, why not Memphis?
Memphis Juneteenth Events
Juneteenth at the National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum is celebrating the Juneteenth holiday on June 19, 2025, as a Community Day with free museum admission and a focus on health equity. There will be food trucks, family and children’s activities, voter registration information, a live DJ, live radio remotes and recorded messages relevant to the importance of Juneteenth. Free admission from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. is on a first-come basis.
Memphis Juneteenth Festival
The City of Memphis is hosting its annual two-day Memphis Juneteenth Festival with food, fun and festivities June 6 and 7, 2025. Hear live music, watch performances by local dancers, taste Southern cooking from local food trucks and more. To find out more about their Juneteenth celebrations, visit Memphis Juneteenth Festival.
Juneteenth Shop Black Festival
At the Juneteenth Shop Black Festival on June 1, 2025, there will be live music, food and the opportunity to shop with local Black vendors. Find more information about the Juneteenth Shop Black Festival here.
Juneteenth Douglass Freedom & Heritage Festival
Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Memphis – more than 30 years for the Juneteenth Douglass Freedom & Heritage Festival! Join them in Douglass Park for free concerts, great food and local vendors June 20–22, 2025.
2nd Annual Juneteenth Concert: Monaleo & Ken The Man
Set at the iconic New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street, Ladies Love Tapped In In will feature high-energy performances from Monaeleo and Ken The Man on Juneteenth. Tickets are available now.
Experience Memphis' Rich Black Heritage & Culture
While you’re here, you may as well extend your visit past the festivities and really get a taste of what Memphis is all about.
After you celebrate Juneteenth with us, I encourage you to patronize the spaces we’ve created to stamp our history and who we are today:
Stop by the National Civil Rights Museum, where you can explore the events that took place in the Civil Rights Movement and get the chance to be in the Lorraine Motel, our reminder that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived and died for the equality and livelihood of African Americans. Bonus: Admission to the National Civil Rights Museum is FREE on Juneteenth.
Want to learn more about Memphis music? The Stax Museum is the only place in the world dedicated to the history and conservation of Stax music and real American soul.
Don’t forget to start your morning off with a cup of cxffee at Cxffeeblack, where your cxffee is served with history, as you read, “Don’t Forget! Coffee was built on Black & Indigenous Slave Labor” on the walls.
Memphis is known for a lot of things, especially our food, and not just barbecue. Here are a few of the Black-owned restaurants in our city, that I’d love for you to try out:
Celebrating Juneteenth is what brought you here, but our culture is what’s going to keep you here.
