Flood’sHill, South Orange

Free Live Performances, Music and Fun!
Bands,BBQ, Beer Garden!

Sponsored by Maplewood Township, South Orange Village and Gaslight South Orange.

On June 19th, visit the Durand-Hedden House, Maplewood’s historic house museum, and its surrounding park to learn more about Juneteenth and see historical reenactors, performers, and storytellers, as well as an exhibit on the History of Slavery in New Jersey. Free, timed reservations are required due to pandemic social distancing restrictions.

Juneteenth is a holiday that should be both fun and educational, especially for today’s youth. For “Coloring Juneteenth: Collaborative Storytime,” we have written an original, historically accurate, and future-minded children’s story book about Juneteenth with outlines of illustrations create by local BIPOC youth artists. There will be three versions of these books that kids will be able to color collaboratively while learning about the history of Juneteenth.

After Juneteenth many of the ex-enslaved left their enslavers with new hope in their hearts only to be faced with more hardship. Now, nearly 160 years later, we explore the present day hopes and struggles of Black Americans through the eyes of Maplewood artist Marc A. Gaston.

Please join the Honorable Mayors of Newark, East Orange, Union and Maplewood as they discuss Juneteenth and what it means to their communities, themselves and its importance today in American society.

Join South Orange Village, Maplewood Village and the NAACP of the Oranges & Maplewood as we commemorate Juneteenth with a special flag ceremony at the South Orange Flagpole on South Orange Avenue and Irvington Avenue at 4pm on Monday, June 14th. This begins a week of special events and activities commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth.

Poetry Reading with the Maplewood Block Lives Matter Poetry Project

• Music by Greg Bufford Trio and others

• Art Kits by Express Yourself Studio

• Craft Vending by Black-Owned Businesses