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Yves-Marie Desir, a Haitian cultural dancer, performed at the Immigrant Heritage Month kickoff in LOVE Park in Center City last week. The shared heritage and contributions of immigrants in Philadelphia are celebrated throughout June. 

Photo by Aidan Gallo, FunTimes

 “There is no such thing as part freedom.” 

– Nelson Mandela (1918 to 2023)

Can you believe it? The first day of summer (that’s June for ya) has arrived with sandals and beach towels in hand. So has the Juneteenth federal holiday. Known as “True Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day,” June 19, 1865 marks the official end of the enslavement of African Americans in the United States. It’s a day of remembrance, reflection, and celebration. Check out the Juneteenth activities, starting at the African Museum in Philadelphia, which kicks off the annual Wawa Welcome America summer festival celebrating America’s birthday. Go forth and explore these low-cost or free entertaining activities celebrating freedom. 

Put African Restaurant Week On Your Plate

Thursday, June 19 to Sunday, June 29, 2025. Make it a meal at Philadelphia African Restaurant Week, which will highlight local restaurants offering discounted traditional African-inspired food. Indulge in authentic cuisine representing the rich culinary heritage of African, African-American, and Caribbean communities. The food tastes better when the price is right: Take advantage of discounted and special traditional African/ Diaspora menus, cooking classes, special events, and a Food and Music Festival on the final day on Sunday, June 29 at LOVE Park (15th St. and John F. Kennedy Blvd.) in Center City. The week is dedicated to supporting small businesses while promoting the best cuisine and culture showcasing  African chefs, cuisine, and restaurants. The activities are part of Immigrant Heritage Month, led by the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Free; activities and the restaurant hours vary. Restaurants citywide. Email: connect@africanrestaurantweek.com, 646-643-6261, or The 2nd annual Philadelphia African Restaurant Week, or https://africanrestaurantweek.com/philadelphia/

Celebrate Juneteenth With AAMP & FunTimes

Thursday, June 19, 2205. FunTimes has teamed up with the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP), as a media partner, to celebrate Juneteenth with an old-school block party. But this party is special, marking the 160th year of Juneteenth and the museum’s 49th anniversary. With the theme, “Juneteenth: Audacious Freedom: Celebrating 160 Years of Freedom,” the party of all parties will kick off the 16-day Wawa Welcome America 2025 (June 19 to July 4) — the nation’s coolest summer festival. Hosted by iHeart Radio’s Patty Jackson, AAMP, Wawa Welcome America and VISIT PHILADELPHIA® are the event producers. Check out Philly’s GRAMMY® Award-winning DJ Drama, Kid Capri, Slick Rick, Keke Wyatt, the West Powelton Steppers, Philly Girls Jump, and Founding Fathers Trolley Car. Browse the vending areas of Black-owned businesses. The Juneteenth Block Party will kick off with a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the Mother Bethel Choir. Enjoy performances by DJ RL, DJ Na$h, Maci Lago Universe, Lady Alma, West Powelton Steppers, Zeke Burse, and Youba. The Third Regiment Infantry United States Colored Troops will recite General Order Number 3, which declared the freedom of all enslaved peoples in Galveston, Texas in 1865. Adults can enjoy a beer garden with free samples of DeLeon Tequila, wine courtesy of Chaddsford Winery, and Tito’s Lemonade & Tito’s Lemonade Spritz courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Take part in Well-being on Wheels presented by Independence Blue Cross, along with nutrition takeaways in partnership with Sharing Excess. Kids will love Sesame Place activities and snagging free books at the PECO Kid Zone. Indulge at food trucks for treats like Rita’s Italian Ice, the official water ice of Welcome America. Visit museum exhibits such as “Demond Melancon: As Any Means Are Necessary,” which explores the culture, history, and artistry of the New Orleans tradition of Black Masking. Free, noon to 7 p.m. EST. Indoor museum admission, from 10 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST, will be free based on a first-come, first-served basis and capacity. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. 215-574-0380 or http://aampmuseum.org/juneteenth-2025

Book It On Juneteenth

Thursday, June 19, 2025. Meet acclaimed authors Klancy Miller and S.A. Cosby at the Juneteenth Book Signing in Partnership with Harriett’s Bookshop and the Reading Terminal. Miller’s For the Culture is a collection of essays, interviews, and recipes of more than 60 Black women It celebrates Black food culture. The pastry chef and writer highlights the Black culinary world’s history and creativity. She is the founder of For the Culture, a magazine spotlighting Black women in the food and wine industries. Following Miller’s book signing, get some insight about the award-winning author Cosby’s new book, King of Ashes. It is a riveting Southern crime novel about a grieving father trying to avenge his son’s suspicious fire death. Free admission, 10 a.m. EST to Noon: Klancy Miller’s book signing; noon to 2 p.m. EST: S.A. Cosby’s session. 1136 Arch St. Email: m-mooney@readingterminalmarket.org, 215-922-2317 or https://readingterminalmarket.org/event/juneteenth-book-signing-in-partnership-with-harrietts-bookshop/

Indulging In Juneteenth History, Culture & Wine

Saturday, June 21, 2025. The 3rd Annual Juneteenth Wine & Arts Festival is all about community, connection, and creativity. The event will pay tribute to the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth and the legacy of Black excellence through food, wine, art, storytelling, and entrepreneurism. Enjoy wine tastings, art exhibitions, interactive cultural experiences, and live performances featuring soul, R&B, and spoken-word performances by Tanqueray Hayward, Fitch Means, Rated Art, and DJs Amber Lang and RocDaSpot. Shop at a marketplace with over 25 small craft businesses offering jewelry, candles, cultural fashion, sweet treats, skincare, and more. The festival is hosted by Shekhinah B., with The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc., and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. Meet the event’s founder Shekhinah B., an arts advocate, a cultural producer, curator, and author of The Art Economic Empowerment Workbook & Take Charge. She has championed emerging artists and underrepresented voices. Free admission but reserve tickets; for wine glass tastings (ages 21+): $20; in advance; $30, day-of-event wine tastings, 1 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST. Cherry Street Pier No. 9, 121 N. Columbus Blvd: 3rd Annual Juneteenth Wine & Arts Festival (JWAF) or https://www.cherrystreetpier.com/event/2025/03/3rd-annual-juneteenth-wine-arts-festival/ 

Juneteenth’s On Parade

Sunday, June 22, 2025. The Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival will be in the spotlight again as one of the nation’s biggest Juneteenth celebrations. The organizers, the Pennsylvania Juneteenth Initiative (PAJI), encourage event-goers to “embrace our history and continue the tradition of Kujichagulia (self-determination).” They estimate that crowds will reach 25,000 strong, turning out along the 1.5-mile route near Malcolm X Park in West Philly. Enjoy the pageantry of more than 2,000 entertaining participants in a procession of colorful fancy floats, along with a concert and a shopping emporium with 250 vendors and creatives. Free admission, 10 a.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. (Parade: 12:30 p.m. EST to 2:30 p.m. EST). Malcolm X Park/ Muhammad Ali Way, Parade will begin at South Concourse & Avenue of the Republic and end at Malcolm X Park. The concert will be on the Malcolm X Park Stage, 52nd St. & Largewood Ave. Email: joy.young@hitouchinc.com, www.juneteenthphilly.org

It’s A Jam For The Kids 

Friday, June 20, 2025. The Kidchella Music Festival is a popular part of Philly’s summer Wawa Welcome America festival. And it will not disappoint. Kids can enjoy engaging performances, art stations, refreshing treats, and a book giveaway courtesy of Sesame Place. Look for performances by Ants on a Log, Noggin Hill, Jams for Junior Jawns, and Hezekiah on the Kidchella Music Stage sponsored by PECO. Take part in wellness and relaxation activities at Well-being on Wheels presented by Independence Blue Cross, along with nutrition takeaways in partnership with Sharing Excess, and soccer-inspired games and giveaways by the first-place Philadelphia Union pro soccer team. Fireworks will light up the skies with a playlist produced by Q102’s DJ Ghost featuring Kidz Bop Kids hits. Free, 4 p.m. EST to 9 p.m. EST, Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse/ front lawn, 3500 Reservoir Dr., Fairmount Park. 215-765-4325 or smithplayground.org or july4thphilly.com

Portraits of Pride On Display

Friday, June 20, 2205. The opening of Portraits of Pride and Resilience is waiting for you at City Hall. Creative Philadelphia and City Councilmember Rue Landau have teamed up to present this juried exhibit of impressive and expressive portraits reflecting “radical visibility” during Philly Pride Month observed in June. The show will run through Thursday, August 28th, and feature the works of 26 artists from Philly’s LGBTQ+ community. Free, 5 p.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST. Philadelphia City Hall (Rms. 116 & 592), 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Reception. 215-686-8446 or creativephl.org

Photo courtesy of ensembleartsphilly.org 

Don’t Be Tardy For The Block Party

Saturday, June 21, 2025. Ensemble Arts, Wawa Welcome America, and the Avenue of the Arts will throw a bash on Broad Street called the Avenue of the Arts Block Party. Cars stay home, please. Ensemble Arts is presenting live performances on pop-up stages near Broad and Spruce streets. Hear some of Broadway’s top performers. The party extends inside to the Kimmel Center; check out lawn games, food, and behind-the-scenes tours at 1 p.m. EST and 3 p.m. EST. Win a chance for free show tickets and merchandise. Free but registration is encouraged. Noon. Along the Avenue of the Arts corridor near the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., Center City. 215-893-1999 or https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org

Cynthia Erivo 

Erivo Will Not Be ‘Wicked’ In Concert

Saturday, June 21, 2025. GRAMMY® Award winner Cynthia Erivo removes her green “Elphaba” movie makeup to accompany the Philadelphia Orchestra for a concert evening interpreting standards by female singers as well as Broadway show tunes. Oh, the British dynamo also has won an Emmy®, Tony® Award, Academy Awards®, and Golden Globes®. She is between gigs of the smash film, Wicked Part 1, and Wicked Part 2, which drops in November. Individual tickets: $60 to $249+; 8 p.m. EST. The Mann Center/ TD Pavilion, 5201 Parkside Ave, Fairmount Park. 215-893-999 or https://philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org/tickets-and-events/orchestra-on-tour/cynthia-erivo 

A Monumental Production

Through Sunday, June 22, 2025. Glitter in the Glass written by R. Eric Thomas was so darn good, the production was extended. You can catch this thought-provoking show about the homecoming of Chelle (played by Jennifer Nikki Kidwell), an artist who plans to install a new statue in the run-down neighborhood park in Baltimore where a monument of Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee was once housed. The planning is done with the contemporary backdrop of a Juneteenth festival that her brother Willard (David Bazemore) is organizing in that park. Individual tickets: $40 to $45, Show times vary: 3 p.m., EST & 7 p.m. EST. Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th St. Email:boxoffice@theatreexile.org, 215-218-4022 or https://www.theatreexile.org/glitter-in-the-glass25

A World Of Difference

Sunday, June 22, 2025. Celebrate World Refugee Day hosted by HIAS Pennsylvania, which supports low-income immigrants. Check out live performances by refugee artists, a variety of international foods, and cultural exhibits. Enjoy interactive workshops and storytelling sessions. Free, 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. LOVE Park, 15th St. and John F. Kennedy Blvd. 215-832-0900 or https://hiaspa.org/event/world-refugee-day-at-love-park/

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