Unquarantined: Celebrate Juneteenth In Bergen County This Weekend

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Juneteenth became a federal holiday this week after the United States Senate unanimously passed legislation that would mark June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Although at least one New Jersey politician has been fighting to officially recognize the holiday for two decades, the movement gained sweeping momentum after the killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020.

New Jersey acted quickly, with legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in September 2020 officially designating the third Friday in June as a state and public holiday.

Juneteenth, which is short for June 19th, is a 156-year-old holiday that celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States.

"Juneteenth today celebrates African-American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures," according to Juneteenth.com in an explanation of the holiday.

A number of Bergen County communities have scheduled events or ceremonies to honor Juneteenth, some for the very first time. Find out what your community has planned below:

Teaneck To Raise Juneteenth Flag

Teaneck will raise the Juneteenth Flag in recognition of the holiday on Saturday morning, township officials announced.

The flag will be raised at 10:30 a.m., and will fly at the Votee Park Sportsplex, 1129 Palisade Ave.

Other events will preface the flag raising ceremony, according to the Phillip Pannell Foundation.

Westwood To Host Juneteenth Celebration

The Westwood Clergy Council will host a Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, the first of its kind in borough history.

The event will feature entertainment, games and prizes and be hosted at Veteran's Memorial Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Bergen County Hosting Gethsemane Cemetery Tour On Juneteenth

The Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs will host a Juneteenth tour of Gethsemane Cemetery this week, in honor of the holiday.

Self-guided tours will be available on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Little Ferry Cemetery, and the public viewing will feature Bergen County historian Dr. Arnold Brown, who will be on site to answer questions.

The cemetery was founded in 1860 as a burial site for Hackensack's Black population, the county said. The graves of over 500 people have been documented, and among those buried there are former slaves, wealthy landowners, and two Civil War veterans.

Ramapo College's Berrie Center To Host Juneteenth Piano Concert

Ramapo College will host a series of virtual concerts this week in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday.

The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts on the Ramapo College of New Jersey campus will host the shows, which feature father and son piano duo Ryan & Ryan.

The broadcast will be free and is available by registering at the link here. Concerts will start Thursday and run through June 23.

According to the college, the duo will be performing their "Kickin' the Clouds Away" concert which features "some of the world's best piano music including jazz, ragtime, classical, and gospel."

Mahwah Hosting Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration

Juneteenth is Saturday, and the Mahwah community will come together to host the first town-wide celebration.

The Mahwah Alliance for Change announced the event, which follows the recent passage of a resolution which officially recognized the holiday in the township. It is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commodore Perry Field.

Bergen NAACP Juneteenth Festival

The Bergen County NAACP will host a festival at Overpeck Park Amphitheater on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.

The festival will feature "Juneteenth history, NAACP Awards, health screenings, Pfizer vaccinations, youth performances, spoken word, free books for youth, VOTER registration, mini-job fair" and a performance by the group Total Eclipse.