Communities nationwide will honor Juneteenth, the summer holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., on June 19, and Palm Springs will mark the occasion with three days of events, celebrating Black freedom, resilience and unity.
In partnership with the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the Palm Springs Black History Committee, Juneteenth Freedom Weekend 2025 will offer music, film, food and family-friendly festivities that honor the holiday’s meaning and legacy.
Juneteenth history and meaning
While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, more than two years passed before its news reached every state. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, declaring freedom for all enslaved people — marking the day the last enslaved people in the country learned they were free.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 under former President Joe Biden — though Black Americans have long celebrated it as a day of reflection and joy.
Here’s how you can mark Juneteenth in Palm Springs and nearby communities:
Free admission offered at Joshua Tree National Park on Juneteenth
Looking to get outdoors this Juneteenth? National parks and forests — including nearby Joshua Tree National Park — will offer free admission, though parking and other fees will still apply. Note: Temperatures will be in the triple digits, so it’s highly recommended to go early in the morning and/or consider just going for a drive rather than a hike.
For more information: Visit nps.gov/jotr.
Palm Springs kicks off Juneteenth at VillageFest in downtown Palm Springs
Palm Springs will kick off Juneteenth with a celebration during VillageFest — the city’s weekly Thursday night street fair — featuring a live DJ, cupcakes, crafts and educational booths with information on the holiday’s history.
For more information: Visit villagefest.org.
Kings & Queens Pageant returns to celebrate community pride
As part of Palm Springs’ Juneteenth celebrations, the Kings & Queens Pageant — a treasured tradition for more than 30 years — returns to honor youth and community excellence in a night of pride and pageantry.
For more information: Call 760-323-8271.
Dance the night away at Palm Springs’ Juneteenth concert in the park with Kool & the Gang tribute
Bring your friends and family to downtown Palm Springs for “Ladies’ Night” in the park — a Kool & the Gang tribute concert named after the group’s iconic hit, with music guaranteed to get everyone dancing under the stars.
Palm Springs Art Museum to host two free film screenings of ‘Racist Trees’
The Palm Springs Art Museum is also taking part in Juneteenth Freedom Weekend with two free screenings of the film “Racist Trees” — a documentary examining how landscape and policy intersect with racial injustice through the lens of local residents as they fight to remove large tamarisk trees from a historically Black neighborhood. Registered guests will also receive complimentary admission to the museum.
For more information: Visit psmuseum.org.
Unity Picnic in downtown Palm Springs to cap off Juneteenth weekend
The Unity Picnic brings Juneteenth Freedom Weekend to a joyful close with a family-friendly celebration at Downtown Park in Palm Springs, featuring food vendors, arts and crafts, children’s rides — and an evening of culture and community togetherness.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 5 events celebrating Juneteenth in Palm Springs: What to know
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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