The celebration includes a movie screening and discussion, history tours, a gospel choir concert, a panel discussion, and celebrations, including a freedom dinner and an African drumming ceremony.

Schedule of Events:

9:30 Am: Juneteenth Freedom Walk
- Community Walk - Free

Celebrate Juneteenth Side-By-Side With Others Of Goodwill By Walking From Kittery, Maine, To The African Burying Ground In Portsmouth, New Hampshire!
Meet At John Paul Jones Memorial Park On The Kittery Side Of The Route 1 Memorial Bridge. Wakers Will Gather By 9:00 Am And Begin The 0.8-Mile Walk At 9:30 Am To The Burying Ground At 386 State Street, Portsmouth, Nh, Led By The Leftist Marching Band.

Parking For Those Participating In The Walk Is Available At Kittery Walk-In Care, 35 Walker Street, And Wheelchair-Accessible Parking Spots Across Hunter Ave By The Warren's Lobster Sign.

Bring A Sign! Bring A Tambourine. Help Celebrate African American Freedom!

This Walk Is Hosted By The Seacoast African American Cultural Center, Green Acre Baha'i  Center Of Learning, And Seacoast Naacp.

11:00 am: A Drumbeat For Spiritual Renewal
- African Drumming - African Burying Ground

Join us for a powerful and moving celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the African Burying Ground Memorial Park. This extraordinary public space honors the lives of enslaved Africans buried beneath the streets of Portsmouth.

This year's commemorative event weaves together ritual, remembrance, and resistance through the vibrant language of African drumming and dance, spoken word, and community connection. The day opens with a soul-stirring Call to Gather by the Akwaaba Ensemble, followed by a tribute to the ancestors led by Rev. Robert Thompson, Director Emeritus of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire.

The ceremony continues with a rededication of the Memorial by Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley, and the unveiling of our new Sankofa Augmented Reality (AR) Outdoor Museum Experience-an immersive digital storytelling initiative that brings history to life through your smartphone.Assistant  Mayor Joanna Kelley rededicating the Memorial and unveiling

The celebration culminates in a Community Dance for Justice and Equity-"Boots on the Ground," an invitation for all to move together in rhythm, memory, and purpose. This is not just a ceremony but a call to presence, action, and collective healing.

Program Schedule:

11:00 am: Call to Gather: Akwaaba Ensemble
11:05 am: Welcome: JerriAnne Boggis
11:10 am: Honor to the Ancestors: Rev. Robert Thompson
11:15 am: Rededication of the Memorial: Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley
11:25 am: Performance: Akwaaba Ensemble
12:00 pm: "Boots on the Ground" Community Dance
12:15 pm: Closing: JerriAnne Boggis