The festival starts the 18th through the 19th.
It’s officially Pride Month and soon-to-be-Juneteenth. This month is a very special month indeed (though we don’t mean this to say that June is the ONLY time to celebrate these communities). And Colorado knows how to celebrate. The Juneteenth Music Festival will be arriving soon in Denver, and we can’t wait.
If you’re not sure what Juneteenth is, it’s the day that African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. This year, the Denver City Council officially recognized the day as an official holiday! There’s three major players who will be collaborating to create a celebration dedicated to Black and LGBTQIA+ community. The Center on Colfax, Youth Seen, and the Juneteenth Music Festival are partnering up to bring back this in-person summer event.
Starting on June 18th, there will be a series of events spanning across the entire weekend, and we’re here to fill you in on everything so you don’t miss a thing. Starting Friday June 18th, the celebration will kick off with the Summer R&B Kick Off Party at the Levitt Pavilion, where Rachel Bailey, The Grand Alliance, KDJ Above, and 112 will be performing. Doors open at 5:30pm. Lawn tickets start at $29.95. But that’s not all that’s happening on Friday. The pre-party begins from the Juneteenth Eve Radio Broadcast. Tune in at 2pm and listen to live panels, entertainment, music, and more.
On Saturday, June 19th it’s the day of the big Juneteenth Parade. Starting at 11:00am, head over to the starting point on 26th Avenue on Williams St. to 26th Avenue on Welton Street in the Historic Five Points. Then, get ready to celebrate at the 2-day Street Festival from 12pm to 9pm on Saturday and 2pm to 8pm on Sunday. Activated spaces of this year’s street festivities will include music and entertainment at the Welton Street Corridor, Charles Cousins Plaza, Five Points Plaza, and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater. You can RSVP here.
June 19th will also be the ‘Five Points of Culture’ Event, where panels like ‘Afro-futurism’ and ‘The Entertainment Industry in Black’ will be hosted (as well as various pop ups) at the historic venue, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Center for the ‘Five Points of Culture’ event. Tickets are available here.
Finally, throughout the week, you can celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community by joining the 8pm Drag Show on June 19th, the Drag Gospel Brunch at 12pm on June 20th, The Strange Fruit of Black Excellence Ball on June 16th at 6pm, and the Majestic Melanated Cabaret Drag Show on the 13th at 8pm.
[featured image by mercedes mehlin via unsplash]
For more Pride events: The Center on Colfax Will Celebrate Pride with an In-Person Event At The End of June