Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival
June 21, 2025
Schedule and Line-up
Here's a glimpse of our performers and presenters
Don't miss our explosive opening
Great Bike Giveaway!
"Transition to Freedom" Concert
Main tent, Don't miss the explosive sounds and performance by our opening act, the African drum and dance troupe, Xaala Mainama, which means "everything that God has given us."
Sponsored by Jam Squad, take home a FREE BIKE on a first come basis, while supplies last.
Living Biography:
Harriet Tubman
Main tent, Internationally known, Danton Whitley
and the Singer's Society
Living Biography:
Edmonia Highgate
And so much more...
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NEW Trials & Triumphs Traveling Exhibition
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Hosanna School Museum
And so much more...
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Kid's Make-and-Take
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Craft Vendors
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Informational Booths
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Food Trucks
History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union General Gordon Granger announced the end of the war and read General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, which declared that the enslaved were free.
The presence of few Union troops in Texas, one of the states that rebelled against the Union, made it difficult to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. General Lee’s surrender in April 1865, along with General Granger’s regiment, provided the necessary influence needed to impose the mandate.
Hosanna's Juneteenth Celebrations
The 2024 Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival is Hosanna’s eighth year hosting a Juneteenth event. After two years of virtual events, we came back strong in 2022 in-person. In 2021 we hosted a virtual program and a hybrid event in 2020 with a mask giveaway and sale. We are glad to be back in person to enjoy the sense of community felt when several organizations come together to make this event possible.
Efforts to Recognize Juneteenth
as a National Holiday
Juneteenth is recognized as a State holiday in 47 of the 50 US states. Maryland legislatures testified in March 2021 to advocate for the passage of HB 0448, which would make Juneteenth a paid State holiday. All State employees would receive the day off, with pay. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a National Federal Holiday.
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