Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. 2019 also represents the 154th Anniversary of Juneteenth celebrated in the United States.

2019 is historically significant — it represents the 400th anniversary, 1619 — of when enslaved Africans arrived in Hampton, Virginia aboard a Dutch ship. They were the first Africans on record to be forcibly settled as involuntary laborers in the North American British Colonies.

The street festival kick-off is at 12 pm on the 6300 block of Germantown Avenue. Throughout the day, enjoy child and family-friendly activities. Shop among a host of vendors amid a historical and cultural marketplace, view exhibits on freedom throughout the block, enjoy performance artists, learn about our culture and history through re-enactments, experience the work of fine artists and craftsmen, and sample a variety of dishes at food trucks! The Beer and Hard Cider Garden will be set up to offer a variety of adult drinks. Bring your young ones to the Children’s Village where activities will keep them occupied and include engaging activities: petting “baby goats,” face painting, moon bounce, arts, and crafts! A panel discussion will highlight Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s high incarceration rates of women and girls and its impact on families and the community. The panel will provide an overview of this crisis – and present strategies that will educate, empower, and engage neighbors to increase awareness and act to address this social injustice.

This year's Juneteenth Festival includes special performances of "THE SLAVE NARRATIVES: 400 Years of Resistance" by the Grounded Theater Company. Performance times: 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Performance length: approximately 45 minutes.

Grounded Theatre Company will present a site-specific performance of "The Slave Narratives." Based on interviews of formerly enslaved people gathered during the 1930s, the play provides a window into their lives during and after slavery.

Performances are free, but registration is required.

Performances begin at the Johnson House Historic Site garden, 6306 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia.

Contact: info@concordschoolhouse.org

PLUS: DON'T MISS City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daring vision for economic justice and opportunity for every U.S. citizen. The poster exhibition examines the Poor People’s Campaign — a grassroots, multiracial movement that drew thousands of people to Washington, D.C. For 43 days between May and June 1968, demonstrators demanded social reforms while living side-by-side on the National Mall in a tent city known as Resurrection City. City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. See the exhibit at the Juneteenth, June 15th and the rest of the month at 6353 Germantown Ave.