Pittsburgh will celebrate the Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration June 17-19, 2022 in Point State Park and Market Square! This free, family-friendly event is a Celebration of all Cities and Boroughs in Allegheny County and will feature African American Culture Education, speakers, live music and local vendors!
2022 Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration | Point State Park
As part of the biggest FREE Juneteenth concert event in the country, the funk-soul band War will headline the performances in Point State Park, daily 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
2022 Performance Schedule
Friday, June 17
- DJ FATMAN SCOOP, 4 p.m.
- Sons of Mystro, 6 p.m.
- Talib Kweli, 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 18
- Roger Humphreys & RH Factor, 4 p.m.
- Arrested Development, 6 p.m.
- ROSE Royce, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 10
- The Dazz Band, 4 p.m.
- KLYMAXX, 6 p.m.
- WAR, 8 p.m.
2022 Juneteenth-Voting Rights Parade
WPA Juneteenth will conduct the Juneteenth-Voting Rights Parade on Saturday, June 18, at 11 a.m. The Parade will begin at Freedom Corner (intersection of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street), proceeding through the Hill District and Downtown, ending in Point State Park.
The Juneteenth-Voting Rights Parade is a reenactment of the 1870 Jubilee of Freemen Parade and Pittsburgh's 1914 Women's Suffrage Parade.
2022 Juneteenth In-The-Square | Market Square
2022 Performance Schedule
Friday, June 17
- Dr. James Johnson & Jazz Allstars, noon
- The House of Soul, 3 p.m.
- The One-Up Band, 5 p.m.
- Kevin Howard Jazz, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 18
- Saxophonist Derek Redd, 1 p.m.
- Tubby Daniel's Band, 3 p.m.
- Jacquea & Friends, 5 p.m.
- Sunshine Anderson, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 19
- DJ Brother Marlon, 11 a.m.
- Pittsburgh Gospel Allstars, 1 p.m.
- Soul Raydio Band, 3 p.m.
- Anita Levels & Soulvation, 5 p.m.
- Bill Henry Band, 8 p.m.
New for 2022, the festival will welcome dozens of minority-owned small businesses, artisans and other vendors at a Juneteenth Minority Vendor Plaza along Liberty and Penn Avenues, just outside of Point State Park. At 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18, the Grand Jubilee Juneteenth Parade will make its way through Downtown Pittsburgh, followed by a voting rights forum at 1 p.m.
Don't miss special Juneteenth events being hosted by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy the week prior in Frick park, including a Juneteenth concert featuring local artists Sierra Sellars and Chandra Rhyme and a 'From Slavery to Freedom' garden tour, an extension of Heinz History Center’s From Slavery to Freedom exhibition. The August Wilson African American Culture Center is also hosting a series of lectures on June 12, 14 and 15 featuring guest speakers Dr. Anthony Browder and Professor Ashra Kwesi.
Continue the celebration a few weeks later at the 2022 Pittsburgh Black Music Festival, July 14-17. Also hosted at Point State Park and Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh, the four-day festival features live jazz, gospel, hip-hop, RnB, funk, blues and soul performances.
History of Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union General Gordon Granger led thousands of federal troops to Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed.
“Juneteenth” serves as a way to celebrate and commemorate the news shared on June 19, 1865. Early celebrations included reassurance among descendants, praying and gathering of remaining family members. In fact, many of the activities present at the first Juneteenth celebrations, including fishing, barbecuing and baseball, are still present today. Most importantly, the day is a time for education and self-improvement.
On June 19, 2019, Pennsylvania officially designated June 19 a state holiday – “Juneteenth National Freedom Day.” In August 2020, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto declared that Juneteenth will become a City holiday in 2021; and in October, Allegheny County Council made Juneteenth a county holiday beginning in 2021.
For more information on the 2022 Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Celebration & Black Music Festival, please visit WPAjuneteenth.com.
