Juneteenth In Evanston: Parade, Celebration, Live Concert

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston's Juneteenth parade and celebration this year will take place June 21.

The Thursday, June 19, federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free. It was more than two months after the end of the Civil War, and about two and one-half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation,

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the on United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a federal holiday, the first since the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

In Evanston, the Freedom Parade will kick off at 11 a.m. from its new starting point at Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue. The parade route will travel north through Ingram Park and will feature local organizations, schools, nonprofits, marching groups, float, the Jesse White Tumblers, South Shore Drill Team and more.

Following the parade, community members are invited to come together for the annual Juneteenth Day of Celebration from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event is meant to honor the history, achievements and future of Black Americans thourgh art, music, culture and community connection.

Some towns and cities are scaling back Juneteenth celebrations — or canceling them altogether — due to concerns about violating the Trump administration’s executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Trump’s executive orders don’t cancel the federal holiday — Congress created it and only Congress can repeal it — but civil rights groups contend the DEI bans are having a chilling effect on Juneteenth. They argue the bans undermine the principles of equality and equal opportunity that Juneteenth represents.

Organizers of some events across the country say they’re having trouble landing their usual corporate sponsorships from businesses and organizations working to comply with DEI executive orders. Many of these companies have contracts directly with the government or receive indirect federal funding through contracts with nonprofits that provide services, such as workplace diversity training. Or, they may simply have shifted priorities due to the politics of DEI.

Related: How DEI Bans Are Affecting 2025 Juneteenth Celebrations

Because Juneteenth is an official U.S. holiday, banks, federal offices and post offices in Evanston will be closed. Many state, county and local government offices will be closed as well.