Juneteenth in Louisiana 2026
21 celebrations across 2 cities.
Juneteenth 2026 across Louisiana brings together 21 confirmed celebrations in 2 cities — from major-market festivals and parades to neighborhood block parties, faith-based gatherings, and free community concerts. Featured statewide events include New Orleans Juneteenth Festival - Congo Square. Most Louisiana Juneteenth events fall on or near Friday, June 19, 2026, with the largest celebrations spanning the weekend of June 19–21. Browse every approved event below, or jump straight to a city.
Louisiana Cities
All Louisiana Juneteenth Events
New Orleans Juneteenth Festival - Congo Square
New Orleans, LA • June 2026 (TBD)
New Orleans' premier Juneteenth festival featuring live music, second-line parades, food vendors, and arts markets celebrating freedom and heritage.
Juneteenth 2nd Annual Community UNITY Walk
Lafayette, LA • Jun 13, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
We will walk the area inside THE HUb, rain or shine. THIS WALK IS inspired by Dr. Opal Lee's,"Opal's Walk for Freedom. Dr. Opal Lee was 89 years old when she began her iconic 1,400-mile walk from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., in September 2016, walking 2.5 miles a day for several months, to advocate for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. 2.5 miles represent the 2.5 years it took for slaves in Texas to learn of their freedom. She continued this tradition annually, leading community walks today.
Move the Mindset Juneteenth Program
Lafayette, LA • Jun 17, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
This year’s theme is Honor, Serve, Inspire with special guests and panel speakers: Ruben D. Henderson, Michelle MacFadyen, and Dr. Maria Seger, with musical performances by Horace Trahan and Pucci Percussion. Student poetry will also be featured as well as community vendors. This event is free to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
The Juneteenth Story
Lafayette, LA • Jun 19, 2026 – Jun 20, 2026
An original play by Black Theatre Experience and the SWLA Juneteenth Committee, told across two timelines, 1865 and today. As the Williams family prepares to mark Juneteenth, elders hand down the story of how freedom came, connecting emancipation to the questions a Black family still carries now. Full of music, faith, and family. June 19 at 7:30 PM and June 20 at 2:00 PM at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
SWLA Juneteenth Music Festival and Stone Soul Picnic
Lafayette, LA • Jun 20, 2026 · 3:00 PM
Outdoor concert with many educational, food, merchandise, vendors. This event is free to the public, it is family friendly. This event brings over 3000 attendees from across Louisiana and neighboring states.
Juneteenth Gospel Under the Stars
Lafayette, LA • Jun 21, 2026 · 3:00 PM
An afternoon of Gospel music performed by our local artists. It is family friendly and free to the general public
Whitney Plantation 4th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival 2026
Edgard, LA • June 13, 2026
The 4th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival at Whitney Plantation - the only Louisiana plantation museum focused exclusively on enslaved people's lives - takes place Saturday, June 13, 2026, 9:30 AM-4:00 PM. Free with registration. The day features performances by Tara Alexander, The Maroons Band, and gospel artist Steven Perrilloux, alongside guided tours of the plantation grounds.
New Orleans Museum of Art Juneteenth Concert 2026
New Orleans, LA • June 17, 2026
The New Orleans Museum of Art presents a Juneteenth concert on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 6 PM in its City Park galleries. General museum admission applies and is free for Louisiana residents on Wednesdays, making this an accessible evening of music marking the holiday alongside NOMA's permanent African and African diaspora art collections.
39th Annual Let the Good Times Roll Festival
Shreveport, LA • June 19-21, 2026
39th Annual Let the Good Times Roll Festival in Shreveport, LA — a multi-day Juneteenth weekend celebration of Louisiana Black music, food, and culture at Festival Plaza. The festival is a TICKETED event: single-day and weekend passes available via the organizer's ticketing platform. Visit letthegoodtimesrollfestival.com to purchase tickets and see the full lineup.
New Orleans Juneteenth Festival 2026
New Orleans, LA • June 19, 2026
The 7th Annual NOLA Juneteenth Festival takes place Friday, June 19, 2026 from 12 PM to 5:30 PM at historic Congo Square. The festival features live music from favorite artists, bands, and dancers; shopping with Black-owned vendors; and information from community resources and local HBCUs. Free and open to the public, the celebration is anchored at one of the most significant sites of African American cultural heritage in the United States.
Lake Charles Juneteenth Freedom Festival 2026
Lake Charles, LA • June 19, 2026
Lake Charles hosts a multi-day Juneteenth Freedom Festival from June 17-20, 2026, celebrating freedom, culture, and community while uplifting Black excellence and honoring ancestors. The festival features live music, parades, spoken word, vendor markets, youth programming, and community service events spread across multiple downtown venues.
The Juneteenth Story at Acadiana Center for the Arts 2026
Lafayette, LA • June 19, 2026
Black Theatre Experience and the SWLA Juneteenth Committee present The Juneteenth Story June 19-20, 2026 at the Moncus Theater. Written by playwright Twana Benoit and directed by Josiah Price, this original community-rooted theatrical event commemorates emancipation through story, music, movement, and intergenerational dialogue. A cornerstone of Lafayette's Juneteenth observance.
Unity Fest Juneteenth Celebration
Baton Rouge, LA • June 19, 2026
Free Juneteenth celebration hosted by the City of Baton Rouge with live music and family-friendly programming.
New Orleans Jazz Museum Freedom for All Sneaker Ball 2026
New Orleans, LA • June 20, 2026
The New Orleans Jazz Museum's 4th Annual Freedom for All Sneaker Ball returns Friday, June 20, 2026, 6:30 PM-11 PM. Live music by ANTWIGADEE!, Creole food from Neyow's, an awards ceremony honoring couples for 'unity and service,' and a stylish sneaker-formal dress code make this one of NOLA's signature Juneteenth-week parties at the historic Old U.S. Mint building.
Donaldsonville Juneteenth Music Festival 2026
Donaldsonville, LA • June 20, 2026
The Donaldsonville Juneteenth Music Festival returns to historic Ascension Parish on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The festival celebrates Donaldsonville's deep African American history - the town was once Louisiana's state capital and home to one of the largest free Black populations in the antebellum South - with live R&B, brass, and zydeco music, food vendors, and family activities.
New Orleans Juneteenth Economic Summit 2026
New Orleans, LA • June 20, 2026
The Juneteenth Economic Summit on Saturday, June 20, 2026 is part of the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival's three-day weekend programming. The summit gathers Black entrepreneurs, financial leaders, and community organizers for sessions on building and sustaining Black economic power.
Greater Lafayette Juneteenth Celebration 2026
Lafayette, LA • June 20, 2026
The Greater Lafayette Juneteenth Celebration returns to Tapawingo Park in 2026 for a community festival celebrating freedom, Black history, and Acadiana culture. Presented by Hanna Community Council in partnership with the Greater Lafayette Juneteenth Committee, the day brings live music, food, vendors, family activities, and educational programming to downtown Lafayette.
Gus Young Park Juneteenth Celebration
Baton Rouge, LA • June 20, 2026
Family-friendly Juneteenth event at Gus Young Park with live entertainment, local food vendors, and cultural exhibits in the neighborhood.
Juneteenth Freedom Gala - New Orleans
New Orleans, LA • June 2026 (TBD)
Formal gala honoring local leaders and scholars for their contributions to civil rights and cultural preservation.
Juneteenth Freedom Bike Ride - New Orleans
New Orleans, LA • June 2026 (TBD)
Community bike ride and wellness event celebrating freedom and resilience through historic neighborhoods.
New Orleans Juneteenth Freedom Gala 2026
New Orleans, LA • June 21, 2026
The Juneteenth Freedom Gala on Sunday, June 21, 2026 closes out the New Orleans Juneteenth Festival weekend at the Andre Cailloux Center. The gala honors community leaders and celebrates Black excellence in New Orleans with dinner, music, and recognition programming.
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