Special Events Mark Juneteenth in Virginia Beach

In honor of the commemoration of the freedom of enslaved people in our country, learn about Juneteenth's history while enjoying cultural special events, live music and more, as the City of Virginia Beach celebrates the holiday throughout June.  

Virginia Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet at the VAACC Site 
June 14, 4-6 p.m., Virginia African American Cultural Center, 744 Hampshire Lane  

Join the Virginia African American Cultural Center (VAACC) for a Juneteenth Celebration with a performance by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet. Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. Funded in part by a City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department Creative Neighborhoods Grant. 

Juneteenth Programs from Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) 
June 18, varying times and locations  

In addition to the free Juneteenth programs listed below, VBPL has a variety of Juneteenth-related materials for all ages in print and digital formats that are free to borrow with a Virginia Beach library account. Learn more at Libraries.VirginiaBeach.gov.  

• Tween Hour: Juneteenth Celebration Bracelets, June 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Kempsville Area Library, 832 Kempsville Road: Youth can learn about the meaning of Juneteenth through making colorful bracelets that represent unity, heritage and pride. Free event for youth in grades 4-6. All supplies are provided, and registration is required.  

• Juneteenth Wreath Making, June 18, 7-8:30 p.m., offsite at Vibrant Shore Brewing Company, 505 18th St.: Adults can learn about the history of Juneteenth while creating a welcome wreath in celebration of the holiday. Free event for adults aged 18+. All supplies are provided, and registration is required.  

Virtual Artist Masterpiece Series featuring I. Sherman Green Chorale, Inc. 
June 18, 7-9 p.m., Zeiders American Dream Theater, 4509 Commerce St.   

Join the VAACC for its Virtual Artist Masterpiece Series with a performance from the I. Sherman Greene Chorale, a charitable organization consisting of talented singers and professional instrumentalists who will perform a musical selection in honor of Juneteenth. This online and in-person event also will feature a moderated interview and discussion. Join on the VAACC Facebook page or live at the Zeiders American Dream Theater. Free and open to the public. Pre-registration is strongly suggested to attend the performance live. Supported in part by a Project Grant from the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission. 

Juneteenth at the Beach 
June 18-22, varying times and locations 

The expanded five-day celebration returns for its fourth year of providing family-friendly fun, education, engagement, activities, live entertainment, games and the opportunity to support local small businesses. Events include a parade, car show, fashion show, trivia, vendor market, pitch competition and more. Presented by T.E.A.M. L.A.M.B. and The L.A.M.B.S. Foundation with support from the City of Virginia Beach. Open to the public. Some events may require tickets. Learn more at www.juneteenthatb.com.   

VBGIGs with VAACC in the ViBe Celebrating Juneteenth 
June 21, 9 a.m. to noon, ViBe Creative District Stage, 1810 Cypress Ave. 

The VBGIGs (Virginia Beach Globally Inspired Gatherings) Juneteenth festival in the ViBe Creative District with the Virginia African American Cultural Center is back! This five-year partnership has yielded performances including storytelling, traditional African music, funk, pop and more. This year, enjoy two exciting acts. Maxmillion is a multi-talented, intercultural artist who mesmerizes audiences with his powerful operatic vocals. The second act features the critically acclaimed, multi-instrumentalist Duane Smith (from The Fuzz Band) with the new Virginia Jazz Experiment.   
​  
​Presented in collaboration by the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, VAACC and the ViBe Creative District. Event takes place during the Old Beach Art & Eco Market. Free and open to the public.  

WHRO Public Media’s “Another View: Fighting for Emancipation, Black Loyalists in the American Revolution” 
June 26, noon, live on 89.5 WHRV-FM  

Join Virginia Beach History Museums in partnership with WHRO’s “Another View” radio show and host Barbara Hamm Lee; Andrea Davis, executive director of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre; and Graham Nickerson, professional historian and Black Loyalist descendant, to hear the history of Black Loyalists, people of African descent who enlisted in the British army in hopes of gaining their freedom. Davis and Nickerson will explore the connection from Virginia to Nova Scotia, Canada, fascinating new Revolutionary War research, and share how many modern Nova Scotia residents are descendants of Black Loyalists. This specially funded event is part of VA250, commemorating 250 years of our Nation in the commonwealth.  

African American Music Month Celebration 
June 28, 2-4 p.m., Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center at Virginia Wesleyan University, 5817 Wesleyan Drive  
Price: $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 

The City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, Virginia Beach History Museums, Teens With a Purpose, Mosaic Steel Orchestra and Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School Alumni and Friends Association, Inc. will celebrate African American Music Month with some globally rooted jazz and summertime steel drum vibes. At this year’s celebration, Mosaic Steel Orchestra will ignite a global summer-by-the-sea vibe with steel pan rhythms and lively tunes, followed by this year’s headlining performer, and Virginia Commission for the Arts artist, Plunky & Oneness.   
  
Plunky brings his signature blend of Afrobeats and jazz to the Virginia Beach stage after returning from a trip studying and sharing music through the African continent. Collectively, performers from Plunky & Oneness have appeared on stages around the world with artists such as Ben Vereen, Patti LaBelle, Ray Charles and Frankie Beverly & Maze.   

Doran Glass III, a Virginia Youth Poet Laureate ambassador with Teens With a Purpose, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Performance includes a brief intermission with refreshments.  
  
Open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged at culture.virginiabeach.gov/events. Email vbhistory@vbgov.com or call 757-385-5100 for questions about this event.  

All events listed above are part of City of Virginia Beach sponsorships or grants or department-specific initiatives.