Juneteenth Celebrated With Music, Arts, Food In Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Montgomery County and the City of Gaithersburg are celebrating Juneteenth with a special event where celebrants can enjoy art, food, music, films and more.

At the June 5 Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council meeting, Mayor Jud Ashman issued an official proclamation designating June 19, 2023, as Juneteenth in Gaithersburg, acknowledging the historical significance of the day and recommitting the City to working toward the dismantling of institutionalized racism. View the presentation here.

The Benjamin Gaither Center, 80A Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, will present a free lecture, “The Story of Josiah Henson and Edmonson Sisters,” at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 23. Learn the life story of Josiah Henson, a former enslaved person from Rockville, and the history of the Edmonson sisters, former enslaved persons from Gaithersburg. The Rev. Cynthia Epps will speak about the real man behind the fictional character and the journey of two sisters’ escape to freedom.

Juneteenth, Journey to Freedom takes place from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown. The free public event offers activities for the whole family the entire day — from dances to films, art exhibits to paint and sips, book talks to a full day of concerts. Shuttle buses will travel regularly from Montgomery College (Germantown) and Seneca Valley High School beginning at noon. Towing enforced in the Safeway parking lot.

The Monday, June 19, national holiday commemorates the day in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the 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 observance of Juneteenth, Gaithersburg city offices and most facilities will be closed on Monday, June 19, with these exceptions:

• The miniature golf course will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• The water park will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for City of Gaithersburg residents and aquatics members only.
• The Gaithersburg Aquatic Center will be open from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m.
• Gaithersburg Police Department Administrative Offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Mayor and City Council Meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 20.

Recycling and Bulk Pick Up

Recycling will be collected as scheduled. On-demand bulk pick up for residents whose regular recycling day is Monday, June 19 will be unavailable. Appointments can be made for the following week using the online form, by e-mailing BulkPickUp@gaithersburgmd.gov, or by calling 301-258-6370. Download the Recycle Coach app for additional recycling tips, notifications and collection reminders.

Regular trash and garbage collection for city residents is handled by private contractors. Contact your HOA or your private contractor regarding the holiday collection schedule for these materials.

For more information on recycling and bulk pick up, contact the City’s Department of Public Works at 301-258-6370, or visit the city’s website www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Related: What Is Juneteenth? Celebrating The End Of Slavery

Other Juneteenth events in the area include:

• MBCC Juneteenth Celebration from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 15 at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. Enjoy live jazz, art exhibit, spoken word and historical presentations.
• Make a Juneteenth Flag from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., on Friday, June 16, at Long Branch Library located at 8800 Garland Ave. in Silver Spring.
• Kensington Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday, June 17 at St. Paul Park, 10564 St. Paul St. in Kensington. Enjoy music, dance historical presentations, food trucks, beer and wine gardens, special guests, kids activities and more.
• Juneteenth & Father's Day Jazz Brunch from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Lakewood Country club at 13901 Glen Mill road in Rockville. The Jazz Brunch Concert will feature The Richard Payne Trio.
• Juneteenth Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday, June 18, at the George and Georgianna Campbell Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery at 18524 Brooke Road in Sandy Spring.
• Juneteenth Black Business Expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday June 18, at Veterans Plaza, 1 Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring.
• Annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Monday, June 19 at Cabin John Regional Park and the surrounding area to raise funds to rebuild the Scotland AME Zion Church in Potomac.
• Juneteenth Service Projects from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Monday, June 19, at Main Street Apartments, 50 Monroe Place in Rockville.
• Celebrate Juneteenth: "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" including a panel with Milt Thompson from 11:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m., at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring.
• Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom and Family- Virtual, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on Thursday, June 29, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, at 21 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.
• Juneteenth Scavenger Hunt from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Rockville Memorial Library, at 21 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.

Washington, D.C. is one of the top destinations to celebrate Juneteenth, U.S. News & World Report said in a story earlier this month.

• The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is hosting several events, including outdoor and indoor activities, on June 17.
• The National Archives will be displaying both the original Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 on Juneteenth weekend.
• The "One Life: Frederick Douglass" exhibit will open on June 16, at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
• Anacostia Community Museum will host its Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on June 19.