Seven events to celebrate Juneteenth in New Mexico

Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday, signed into law in 2021 and celebrated each year on June 19, but people began celebrating Juneteenth over 150 years ago.

Juneteenth celebrates emancipation from slavery and originated in Galveston Bay, Texas, where many enslaved Black people were not freed until 1865 — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation — when Union troops wrested Texas from Confederate control during the Civil War, according to a history on the National Museum of African American History and Culture website.

Here are some local Juneteenth celebrations:

Friday

• The Albuquerque Isotopes will have a Juneteenth Celebration during their baseball game against the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas at Isotopes Park. Fans will be able to learn about the history and tradition of Juneteenth.

Saturday

• Celebrate Juneteenth at 1 Civic Plaza, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. This event will feature food trucks, music, art vendors, educational resources, cultural enrichment and business development seminars. The theme is "Reclaiming our Roots." Last year's community Juneteenth event attracted over 4,000 attendees, according to the Black Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico website.

• A Black Business Summit will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 Second NW. The business summit will feature networking opportunities and seminars.

• A free outdoor yoga flow class is being offered 9-10 a.m. The Juneteenth Freedom Flow: Yoga at the Park will be at Academy Hills Park, near Juan Tabo and Eubank NE.

• Juneteenth Santa Fe will be 3-9 p.m. at the Santa Fe Plaza. The event will feature food, live music, drumming, dance, poetry and vendors. The headliner is the New Orleans based Hot 8 Brass Band.

Wednesday

• A Juneteenth Golf Tournament will be Wednesday, June 19, at the Sandia Golf Club, 30 Rainbow NE, to benefit ABC Prep Basketball.

Thursday

• Sister, the bar at 407 Central NW, is hosting Afrosphere: A Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 20, 7-10 p.m., featuring DJs that will have the bar “full of energy, love, smiles and dancing,” according to the online event description.