Juneteenth Celebration Back For 2nd Year In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA – The 2nd Annual Juneteenth celebration returns to Doylestown on Sunday, June 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Mercer Museum.

The event is presented by Doylestown Juneteenth, the African Diaspora Collective of Bucks County, the PairUP Society, the Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, the NAACP of Bucks County, and the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle.

After a successful first year in the heart of Doylestown’s Cultural District, this year’s event promises to be another welcoming community gathering outside on the green of the Mercer Museum, as well as inside. Highlights of the day include speakers, live performances, musicians, a DJ, food trucks, vendors and artisans, family-friendly crafts and activities, and free admission to the Mercer Museum.

The celebration is free to the public and will be held rain or shine.

Juneteenth, known as Freedom Day or Juneteenth Independence Day, commemorates the anniversary of the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they were free. This took place in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863.

The 2nd Annual Juneteenth at the Mercer Museum is sponsored in part by Bucks County Community College and Penn Community Bank.

"The Mercer Museum, operated by the Bucks County Historical Society, is once again honored to be working with our community partners to host this year's commemoration of Juneteenth in the heart of Doylestown," said Marjan Shirzad, Chief Operating Officer of the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle. "As a community resource and historic landmark, we look forward to providing a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere and commemorating the day with live performances and family-friendly educational activities for all."

A visitor adds to a Juneteenth mural at last year's celebration. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Adrienne King, Founder and Board President of The PairUP Society, Inc. adds, “In a time where there is so much divide, actions being taken to ban books about Black historical figures and limit the teaching of Black History, the annual celebration of cultural events like Juneteenth is an opportunity to create the sense of community, inclusion and belonging for Black families in Bucks County. Through this annual event, we hope to celebrate, educate, uplift, and empower our growing and diverse community.”

Doylestown Juneteenth co-founder Angela Nutter remarks, “I am very much looking forward to this second year of this wonderful community celebration. The Mercer Museum has been an invaluable partner for this historic Juneteenth event and we look forward to a community-minded event.”

A free DART Bus shuttle will run a continuous loop between the Mercer Museum and the Bucks County Parking Garage located at Broad & Court Streets in downtown Doylestown between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking is very limited at the Mercer Museum, and guests are highly encouraged to use the free shuttle or obey local street parking regulations. Information is at mercermuseum.org/Juneteenth and will be updated regularly before the event.

The first annual Juneteenth celebration brought out the crowds at the Mercer Museum. (Photo by Jeff Werner)