Celebrating Juneteenth 2025

June 19th is the official date for Juneteenth 2025. The name “Juneteenth” combines two words: “June” and “nineteenth” and is believed to be the oldest African American holiday, having been celebrated annually in different parts of the country since 1866.  

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of African American slaves.  It’s officially named Juneteenth National Independence Day, and is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day.  

Juneteenth was an indirect result of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation stated "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious areas "are and henceforward shall be free“ which liberated the slaves in the Confederate states. Despite the historic announcement, it took 30 months to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.  On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery. General Order No. 3 was issued two months after the Civil War officially ended on April 19, 1865, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse.  

Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.  Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983. 

Juneteenth will be celebrated over the coming weeks at various venues in and around Boulder.  Here’s a short list of upcoming celebrations! Enjoy! 

Juneteenth Community Celebration – Boulder 

Sunday, June 15, 2025 

Family Learning Center 

3164 34th St, Boulder, CO 80301 

Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony – Boulder 

Monday, June 16, 2025 

Penfield Tate II Municipal Building  

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM 

1777 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302 

Juneteenth Celebration – Broomfield 

Thursday, June 19th, 2025 

Broomfield Library and Auditorium 

All day 

3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, CO  

Roots Music Project -A Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Through Music – Boulder 

Wednesday, June 19, 2025 

6:00pm – 10:00pm 

Roots Music Project 

4747 Pearl Suite V3A, Boulder, CO 80301 

Juneteenth Celebration Event – Commerce City 

Thursday, June 19, 2025 

4:30pm 

Pioneer Park, 5950 Holly St, Commerce City, CO 80022 

Juneteenth Rooftop Poetry Bash & Celebration - Boulder 

Thursday, June 20, 2024 

5:00 pm - 8:30 pm 

Museum of Boulder 

2205 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302

Longmont Juneteenth Family Celebration - Longmont 

Saturday, June 22 

Time: 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

Roosevelt Park, 700 Longs Peak Ave, Longmont CO 

Celebrating Juneteenth with Hazel Miller & The Collective - Longmont 

Thursday, June 19, 2025 

7:00pm 

Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Rd, Longmont, CO 80501 

Juneteenth Music on the Lawn – Foothills Fort Collins 

Friday, June 20, 2025 

5:00pm to 10:00pm 

215 E Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins, CO 

VIP Juneteenth Symposium – Panel Discussion 

Saturday, June 21, 2025 

10:00am 

Museo de las Americas 

861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 

NAACP Aurora 

Saturday, June 21, 2025 

2:00pm to 6:00pm 

Town Center at Aurora (Food Court Lot), Aurora, CO 

Erie Juneteenth Celebration – Being Better Neighbors 

Thursday, June 19, 2025 

6:00pm – 8:00pm 

235 Cheesman, Erie, CO