African American Spirit Shines Through The Rain At Juneteenth Celebration In Bucks Co.

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The rain moved in just as Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration was getting underway on the grounds of the Mercer Museum, but even the wet weather couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the day.

For three hours, people turned out for the event, which included a scaled-down marketplace of African American vendors, entertainment, words of expression, balloon making, food and some pageantry.

This is the fourth year the museum has played host to the Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they had been freed under the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Highlighting Saturday’s event was the unveiling of a new piece of art created especially for the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth.

Artist Kevin Aster Young showed off “Forward Backward Together Forward,” an interactive work of art he created in collaboration with 16 different community organizations in celebration of Juneteenth’s 160th anniversary.

Artist Kevin Aster Young next to “Forward Backward Together Forward.” (Jeff Werner/Patch)

“Every year I do a piece based on the Juneteenth flag. This year is a milestone - 160 years - so I knew I had to do something special,” said Young. “So I invited 16 different organizations in the county to create 10 tiles each with loose directions where to put the color.”

Young then added a QR code and a year to the back of each tile, which links to the history of what was happening in African American history during that particular year.

Conception to completion was about five months, said Young.

The whole idea, he said, was to bring the community together on a project that visualizes the passage of time and highlights the contributions of Black Americans to American history “at a time when doing so is of paramount importance.”

Another highlight of the day were live performances inside the log house by Shirley Lee Corsey of the Gather Place in Yardley. Corsey took on the persona of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

If you didn’t catch her shortened performances on Saturday, circle Saturday, Sept. 21 on your calendar for her full performance of “Harriet Tubman: Her Life, Her Legacy - A Journey Through Time.”

Shirley Lee Corsey of the Gather Place in Yardley portrayed American Abolitionist Harriet Tubman at the event. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Alia Hymon, the owner of Alia's WOW Balloons, brought her award-winning balloon talent to the Juneteenth celebration. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The show takes place at the Mercer Museum from 2 to 3 p.m. The cost is $15 for general admission and $10 for society members. Early reservations are suggested as space is limited and the show will sell out.

The day’s other activities included a fan dance, a DJ, food trucks, vendors and artisans, the announcement of scholarship awards by the Bucks County NAACP and Links, and lots more.

The 2025 Juneteenth Celebration was presented by the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, the African Diaspora Collective of Bucks County and the Gather Place of Yardley.

The Link Inc. presented its scholarships at the event. (Jeff Werner/Patch)