The City of Boulder marked Juneteenth with a public flag-raising ceremony and community gathering on Monday, June 16, outside the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building.
The event included live music by Selasee and the Fafa Family, free ice cream, and remarks from city staff, council members, and community members. It was organized with support from the city’s Office of Equity and Belonging.
In a statement ahead of the event, Aimee Kane, Boulder’s equity and belonging officer, said the city hoped to create space for both celebration and reflection.
“Juneteenth offers an important opportunity for our community to come together in reflection of our shared history,” Kane said. “The city is honored to participate in the events that pay tribute to and celebrate the countless contributions of Black people to our country and community.”
City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde also highlighted the importance of acknowledging the past while looking toward the future.
“On this important day, we honor and uplift the perseverance of Black Americans,” she said. “We do not shy away from recognizing the horrors of slavery, but on this day, we also choose to celebrate the joy of freedom.”
Juneteenth commemorates the date in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people of their freedom. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued two years earlier, it was not enforced in Texas until June 19 of that year. The day is widely recognized as marking the effective end of slavery in the United States.
Boulder’s Juneteenth celebration is one of several local events recognizing culture and community this week. Today, June 19, the city will host "On the Rise: A Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Through Music” on University Hill. The free, outdoor concert runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 1221 Pennsylvania Avenue and will feature performances by Black artists including Hakeem Furious and Jack Hadley. The event is presented by Roots Music Project, a Boulder nonprofit that works to amplify the live music community, in partnership with the City of Boulder. The event will also include storytelling and community engagement activities.
City services such as recreation centers, pools, trails, the Boulder Reservoir, and Flatirons Golf Course will remain open on June 19. Parking at city-owned lots and meters will be free, with the exception of Chautauqua Park, where a free Park-to-Park shuttle will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Officials are also encouraging residents to celebrate safely. Fire bans remain in effect across Boulder, and city code prohibits bonfires and campfires. Emergency services will be available on June 19.
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