Expanded Norfolk Juneteenth Celebration Planned For June 19-21 in Town Point Park

Residents and visitors from around the world will join together for the Annual Juneteenth Norfolk celebration Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21, 2026 at Town Point Park, located along the scenic Downtown Norfolk, Virginia Waterfront.  

 

This once in a generation event featuring Juneteenth, America’s 250th, the gathering of the international fleet for the Sail250®Virginia goodwill tour, and the 50th anniversary of Norfolk Harborfest,  marks the first time that these significant celebrations will share the same stage, creating a unique moment of reflection, unity, and celebration for our city, the Commonwealth, and our nation.  The presence of Juneteenth during this landmark weekend adds depth, meaning, and perspective to the large commemorations happening across the waterfront.

 

This powerful and vibrant festival commemorates Juneteenth as a weekend of unity, freedom, and empowerment. It honors the enduring achievements of African American communities through live music from national and regional artists on five outdoor stages, family-friendly activities, and a stunning fireworks finale to cap off the Juneteenth National Holiday on Friday, June 19, 2026, at 9:30 PM.

 

Attendees will enjoy three unforgettable days of education, reflection, and celebration—complete with delicious food, local vendors, and enriching community engagement.

 

With support from Dominion Energy, this free event is open to the public and invites people of all backgrounds to come together and celebrate a shared heritage and vision for the future.

 

For more details, visit: bit.ly/JuneteenthNFK2026

 

Entertainment Schedule:

Friday, June 19, 2026

10:00 am – City of Norfolk Juneteenth Opening Ceremony Main Stage

11:00 am – 2 pm – Parade of Sail with Juneteenth Narration by Dr. Cassandra Newby Alexander

2:30 pm – JuJu Drum (Steel Drums) Front Street Stage

2:45 pm – Music Theory Studios (DJ) Freemason Stage

2:45 pm – Shann (R&B/Soul) Boathouse Stage

3:45 pm – Pure Lagos Fashion Show (Fashion Show) Freemason Stage

4:00 pm – Roberta Lea (Country/Pop) Main Stage

4:30 pm – Wilke$ & Friends (R&B) Boathouse Stage

5:00 pm – Mayona Duo (R&B) Freemason Stage

6:00 pm – Hot Gumbo Brass Band (Brass Band) Front Street Stage

6:00 pm – Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary (R&B/Disco/Pop/Soul) Main Stage

6:30 pm – Fortresses (Funk/Jazz/Soul) Boathouse Stage

6:45 pm – Jesse Chong (Reggae/Rock/Funk) Freemason Stage

8:00 pm – Grupo Ritmo Son (Latin) Front Street Stage

8:00 pm – Patti LaBelle (R&B) Main Stage

8:15 pm – Fuzz Band (Funk/Jazz/Soul) Boathouse Stage

9:45 pm – LittKeys (DJ) Boathouse Stage

 

Saturday, June 20, 2026

12:15 pm – JuJu Drum (Steel Drums) Freemason Stage

12:30 pm – One Love Steel Band (Steel Drums) Front Street Stage

12:30 pm – The Fellaz (Soul) Boathouse Stage

1:45 pm – JuJu Drum (Steel Drums) Freemason Stage

2:30 pm – 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band (Military Band) Front Street Stage

2:45 pm – Tumbao Salsero (Latin) Boathouse Stage

3:15 pm – Stella Haile (Acousitic) Freemason Stage

4:00 pm – Paper Aliens (Psychedelic Soul/Funk/Rock) Main Stage

4:30 pm – Red Stapler Duo (Rock/Variety) Front Street Stage

4:30 pm – Emerald Beach (Rock) Boathouse Stage

4:45 pm – PC Duo (Acoustic) Freemason Stage

6:00 pm – The Last Bison (Sounthern Folk Rock) Main Stage

6:30 pm – Mayona Duo (R&B) Front Street Stage

6:30 pm – Fox & The Bear (Folk/Acoustic) Freemason Stage

6:30 pm – The Hookz (Rock) Boathouse Stage

8:15 pm – Rocky 7 (Fusion) Front Street Stage

8:15 pm – Grateful Jed (Tribute Band) Boathouse Stage

8:15 pm – Fitz & the Tantrums (Indie Pop/Neo Soul) Main Stage

9:45 pm – Kill Devil Disco (DJ) Boathouse Stage

 

Sunday, June 21, 2026

12:30 pm – Vince Kornegay Band (Variety) Boathouse Stage

2:15 pm – Eric Staab (Reggae) Boathouse Stage

2:30 pm – Holly Roller (Southern Rock) Main Stage

3:15 pm – Brian Sewell (Acoustic) Freemason Stage

4:15 pm – Wonderland (Variety) Front Street Stage

4:15 pm – RaJazz (Jazz) Boathouse Stage

4:30 pm – No BS! Brass Band (Funk/Jazz) Main Stage

4:45 pm – Vince Kornegay Duo (Acoustic) Freemason Stage

6:15 pm – Michael Clark Band (Variety) Front Street Stage

6:15 pm – Anthony Rosano & the Conqueroos (Blues) Boathouse Stage

6:30 pm – Jacob Vanko (Acoustic) Freemason Stage

6:30 pm – JJ Grey & Mofro (Rock/Soul/Funk/Blues) Main Stage

 

NEW! JUNETEENTH FREEDOM FIREWORKS CELEBRATION:

Enjoy the Freedom Fireworks Show finale over the Elizabeth River starting at 9:30 pm on Friday, June 19, 2026. Honoring Juneteenth and the historic emancipation of enslaved African Americans, the event celebrates the resilience, culture, and lasting contributions of African Americans while bringing the community together in a shared reflection on freedom and progress.

 

As night falls, vibrant red, green, yellow, white, and blue fireworks will illuminate the sky, symbolizing resilience, joy and unity. Residents and visitors are invited to gather for an evening that honors history while celebrating the ongoing journey toward liberty and opportunity for all.

 

NEW! DISCOVERY DECK – EDUCATION CENTER

The NEW Discovery Deck – Education Center at the Nauticus Pavilion will serve as a space for education, dialogue, and discovery throughout the weekend. Through the presence of local organizations and exhibitors, visitors will engage with the rich history, culture, and contributions of African Americans—and gain a deeper understanding of how that legacy continues to shape America today.  The Discover Deck – Education Center will operate 12 pm – 7 pm daily June 19 – 21, 2026.

 

Discovery Deck – Education Center Exhibitors:

• Discovering Amistad – Historic Exhibit and regularly scheduled 50-minute program.

• Tidewater African Cultural Alliance – Performance and interactive booth.

• Tuskegee Airmen – Terrestrial drones, meet Mr. Newton/Newton presentation, visual museum (photos and videos on screen), and recruitment for their Hampton chapter.

• Music Theory Studios – Learn to make a micro mix with on-site turntables. 

• Chrysler Museum of Art – Juneteenth activities. 

• Code Ninjas – Interactive coding activities centered around African American inventions.

• Library of Virginia – Interactive Juneteenth history activities.

• Pure Lagos – African Art and Education

• WHRO – Interactive Juneteenth history activities. 

 

NEW! HISTORY ALIVE – HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN INTERPRETERS
History comes to life at Juneteenth Norfolk with live portrayals of historical African American figures. Located throughout the event, these interpreters provide engaging, first-person perspectives that illuminate the struggles, achievements, and enduring legacy of those who helped shape our nation.12 pm – 7 pm daily June 19 – 21, 2026.

 

History Alive – Historic Figures Include:

• Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809 –1876) set sail in 1829 from Norfolk on the ship Harriet bound for Monrovia.  Roberts was a successful Norfolk merchant and became the first president of Liberia.  Other ships, including the Saluda, also sailed from Norfolk to the region. 

• Moses Myers (1753 – 1835) became Norfolk’s first Jewish settler in 1787. Within five years had established a five-vessel fleet for his import-export business. The Embargo Act of 1816 forced Myers into bankruptcy. He was told he could avoid debtors’ prison by trafficking in slaves or opium, but he refused. Although he was never able to recover his fortune, his debts were repaid by the time of his death.

• Shadrach Menkins, (1814 – 1875) was born enslaved in Norfolk but escaped to Boston in the spring of 1850. Nine months later, slave catchers, empowered by the Fugitive Slave Act had him arrested and tried.  As the gavel fell, black and white Bostonians staged a daring courthouse rescue and successfully escorted Minkins out of the city to safety.  This represented an important challenge to that law.

• Captain James Watson Fountain (1812- 1878) known as “Alfred Fountain” was arguably the most successful and trusted seaman on the Underground Railroad. He is referenced many times in William Stills’ “Chronicles of the Underground Railroad”. His encounter with the mayor of Norfolk is well known, but only one chapter in his very interesting life.

• Minkins (unknown) was the steward aboard Captain Fountain’s ship.  Being free black, Minkins aroused no suspicion by associating with other blacks and could thereby serve as liaison between Fountain, Bagnall, and the black community.

• William Bagnall (unknown) was a Norfolk banker and an important operative on its Underground Railroad network.  He served as an open line of communication between those who escaped North and the loved ones they left behind.

• Clarissa Davis (unknown) was enslaved in Portsmouth, but escaped on Captain Fountain’s schooner, the City of Richmond in 1854, to join her brothers in Philadelphia.  Clarissa hid under a porch for 75 days after initially missing her rendezvous with Fountain’s ship.  She married another runaway from Portsmouth, Sheridan Ford.

• George Latimer (July 4, 1819 – May 29, 1897) was an escaped enslaved man from Norfolk whose 1842 case in Boston sparked major anti-slavery activism and led to the "Latimer Law”.  In 1851 he was involved in the rescue of another escaped enslaved man from Norfolk, Shadrach Menkins, when he was paid to keep Minkins's owner under surveillance. 

• Henry “Bluebeard” Lewey, (unknown) was a legendary, enslaved Norfolk man and famous conductor on the Underground Railroad, successfully guiding freedom seekers to waiting ships and one of the most effective operatives in the regions maritime escape network.  Over time, suspicion grew to the point that he and his family had no choice but to escape themselves. 

• Annetta M. Lane (c.1838-1908) enslaved Norfolk woman and operative on the Underground Railroad. She was a principal founder of the United Order of Tents, a secret society of black women formed to aid the Underground Railroad, officially established during Reconstruction. The United Order of Tents still exists today.

• Eliza McCoy (unknown) Eliza McCoy escaped from Norfolk to Philadelphia in November 1854 to join her husband, Robert McCoy, who left a month earlier.  Eliza hid for seven months in close quarters before finally being secreted aboard a steamer to Philadelphia and after a period of recuperation, joined her husband.

• Father Matthew O’Keefe (1801 – 1870) was pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church (now Basilica) in Norfolk known for his bravery during the 1855 yellow fever epidemic, his fight for racial inclusion against Know-Nothing threats), and building the new church building after the original was burned in 1856 presumably by Know-Nothings.  Tunnels found beneath the church and his overtures to the black community in Norfolk, suggest that Father O’Keefe and St. Mary’s may have been involved in the UGRR.

• Michael “Hell Roaring” Healy (1839 – 1904) Just one month before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln signed Healy’s commission, making him the first U.S. sea service officer of African descent and the first to command a federal ship.  He served his first two years on the east coast in the Cutter service (predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard) before making a name for himself in the Alaskan territory.

 

 

NEW! JUNETEENTH WALK IN HISTORY In partnership with The New Journal and Guide

20 larger than life “story boards” are being created for Juneteenth 2026 and will be staged throughout Town Point Park to provide a self-guided walking tour that highlights important times in African American History, celebrates noted Hampton Roads individuals, and African American contributions to Norfolk’s military and maritime heritage. 12 pm – 7 pm daily June 19 – 21, 2026.

 

NEW! RADIO JUNETEENTH In partnership with Norfolk State’s WNSB Hot 91.1FM 

Special musical programming will be broadcast throughout the weekend on the park Public AdressSystem. The waterfront public address system is a key feature of the festival weekend, helping connect the celebration with guests throughout the event. This year, in partnership with Norfolk State University Radio and Music Theory Studios of Norfolk, it will become “Juneteenth Radio — A Voice of Freedom,” sharing cultural and historical interviews, quotes, readings and music.

 

The broadcast will carry the voices and rhythms of the community, ensuring the history is told and the music is felt. Juneteenth Radio will be prominently broadcast on June 19, 2026, with continued Juneteenth Radio programming continuing throughout the weekend’s diverse festivities.

 

NEW! JUNETEENTH REMEMBERS

WHRO Public Media is proud to provide a special video collection for this year’s Juneteenth celebration, featuring African American history and powerful stories from Virginians and local voices.  These videos offer moments of reflection and connection throughout the weekend, complementing the festival’s celebration of unity, freedom, and cultural heritage

More than a dozen Norfolk African American stories and interviews will be rotated on giant festival video walls between stage performances, narrated by local African American celebrities.  These videos will also be shown on the video screen in the Discovery Deck Education Center at the Nauticus Pavilion and added to the Juneteenth website for future historic reference as part of the 2026 Norfolk Juneteenth legacy. 

 

**All schedules, performances, and activities are subject to change.

 

The 2026 Juneteenth Norfolk Celebration is sponsored by the City of Norfolk, Virginia is for Lovers, Dominion Energy, Newport News Shipbuilding, Sentara Health Plans, Virginia Lottery, WHRO Public Media, New Journal and Guide and WNSU.

 

For more information on Norfolk Festevents’ 2026 Season of Events, visit Festevents.org.

 

Norfolk Festevents, Ltd., based in Norfolk, Virginia, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating the most dynamic urban waterfront community in America through innovative programming and imaginative uses of its historic waterfront spaces. Norfolk Festevents has garnered international acclaim for its advocacy for public access to waterfronts, outstanding quality programming, and development of public spaces, transforming Norfolk into one of the most progressive, fun, and livable waterfront communities in the country. Residents, workers, and visitors to Norfolk and Hampton Roads are invited to experience all the fun and excitement of the 2026 season of events.