Somerville Beginning Juneteenth Festivities 3 Days Early

SOMERVILLE, MA — The city is inviting residents to attend its annual Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony on Monday, June 16, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse at 93 Highland Ave.

The event will include a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," remarks from community leaders and the raising of the Juneteenth flag. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be postponed to Tuesday, June 17, at 1 p.m.

Juneteenth is observed each year on June 19 and commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people they were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday is widely recognized as marking the end of slavery in the United States and became a federal holiday in 2021.

City officials describe the observance as both a celebration of freedom and an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing pursuit of justice, equity and belonging.

Somerville has marked Juneteenth with annual flag-raising ceremonies in recent years. The city held its first Juneteenth flag raising in 2023 through the Department of Racial and Social Justice, followed by ceremonies in 2024 and 2025 that included community speakers, performances and additional programming recognizing Black history and culture.

The event is free and open to the public.

See Also:

Home Hospital Clinicians Protest Outside MGB Headquarters In Somerville

Somerville To Break Ground On City's First Inclusive Playground

Home For Little Wanderers Receives $240K Grant To Support School Mental Health Services

Somerville And Cambridge Police Help Arrest 4 On Drug Distribution Charges

6 Residents Displaced And Businesses Damaged After Fire At Somerville Structure