Where to celebrate Juneteenth 2022 in the Des Moines metro

Central Iowans have a number of opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation in the United States.

The holiday dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were free — 2½ years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth celebrations have been held on June 19 annually since the first celebration in Texas in 1866. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Here are some Juneteenth events happening in the Des Moines metro area.

Juneteenth celebrations in the Des Moines metro 

The Des Moines Public Library is hosting a Juneteenth scavenger hunt for children from June 13-18 at the South Side Library, 1111 Porter Ave. Kids ages 7+ are invited to search for images around the library and answer questions to win a small prize. The scavenger hunt is available during regular library hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Also geared toward kids, the Des Moines Public Library is hosting a Juneteenth craft event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17-19 at the Franklin Avenue Library, located at 5000 Franklin Ave. Children of all ages are invited to learn about Juneteenth while crafting a spinning toy.

Urban City Magazine is hosting a Black art exhibit/sale from 5 to 10 p.m. June 17 at Mainframe Studios, 900 Keosauqua Way.

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The Artist X Advocacy mentorship program and Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation will be hosting a Juneteenth community mural event from 12:30-3 p.m. June 18 at the corner of 6th Avenue and Euclid Avenue. The event will invite community members to create a collaborative mural using pre-cut grid squares on watercolor paper and will recur across multiple days until the finished mural is unveiled on June 23.

Des Moines entertainment venue xBk Live is hosting a Juneteenth celebration beginning at noon and continuing through the evening of June 18. The event will include performances by musical artists, a dance party and the broadcast premiere of the film "Juneteenth: The Movement 2022." Admission is free and the event will be held at xBk Live at 1159 24th St.

The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence will be hosting Pride and Soul, a roller-skating event, at Des Moines Water Works Park's Lauridsen Amphitheatre from 6 to 8:30 p.m. June 18. The event will celebrate the intersection of Pride Month and Juneteenth, with Black and LGBTQIA+ vendors, artists and resources. Food trucks will be available, and participants are asked to bring their own roller skates.

The Kalypso Music Festival, also held at xBk Live, will offer "a Juneteenth celebration showcasing Black performing artists across Iowa" from 6-10 p.m. June 19, according to the event description. The event will feature dozens of Black artists and will provide young Black performing artists from across Iowa the opportunity to network and practice their craft.

If roller-skating isn't your cup of tea, join Black Women 4 Healthy Living at their Juneteenth Tea event, noon to 1:30 p.m. June 20 at the Corinthian Baptist Church, 814 School St. in Des Moines. The event will include a light lunch, speakers and conversation, with the theme "We will not be shaken."

Iowa Urban Media will host the Urban Impact Show at 5 p.m. June 19. The online talk show features a group of Black leaders in Des Moines discussing "community issues, public affairs, health, education and embrace our culture and people who are making a difference every day in their own way," according to the show's description. Tune in through the Urban Impact Show's Facebook page.

Also, in Ankeny, the second-annual Ankeny Community Network's Juneteenth festival will be held at The District at Prairie Trail. The event will run from 3 to 10 p.m. June 18 and will feature live music, local performers, games for children, food trucks and more.

"As our nation and local community prioritizes and invests in diversity, equity and inclusion, support of this event allows us all to take steps toward racial reconciliation," the Ankeny Juneteenth festival description says. "The goal of the Juneteenth celebration is to help build a bridge of awareness, acknowledgment and acceptance, all of which is needed both here in our community and across the country."

For more Iowa Juneteenth events, visit iowajuneteenth.org.

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Grace Altenhofen is a news reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Juneteenth 2022 things to do, events in the Des Moines metro