Å·ÃÀÊÓƵ’s Office of Mission and Inclusion will host the fourth annual Moorhead Juneteenth celebration from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, on the bell tower lawn near the Knutson Campus Center. The free, public event is organized by local nonprofit Fred’s Dissonance in partnership with the City of Moorhead and Minnesota State Moorhead.

Juneteenth marks the historic day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Now a federal holiday, it has become a nationwide celebration of Black resilience, culture, and liberation.

“Juneteenth is not just a commemoration of the past — it’s a call to imagine and create a more just and unified future,” said Fred Edwards Jr., founder of Fred’s Dissonance.

This year’s theme, “Between Spaces,” invites the community to experience an immersive, interactive day of freedom, art, and collective visioning.

Through live performances, youth-led monologues, and vibrant Afro-futuristic art, the celebration will center on Black joy, history, and innovation.

Comedian Joseph “Juice” Sutton, the official host for the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild, will emcee the event.

Highlights include:

• Formal proclamation from Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson
• Special guest performance by rising artist ShottyTheBeam 
• Food options from local vendors
• Free family fun including bouncy houses, face painting, and a live caricature artist
• 4:30 p.m. — presentation 
• 5 p.m. — Keynote by Fred Edwards Jr.
• 5:30 p.m. — Panel discussion with Rachel Stone, founder of P’s and Q’s Etiquette; Jered Pigeon, Minnesota State Moorhead’s director of Diversity and Inclusion; and  students

Additional details can be found at .

Parking is available in the Knutson Campus Center lot at 624 9th Ave. S., Moorhead.