Juneteenth is a federal holiday marking the day when slaves in Texas were told about the Emancipation Proclamation, two years after it had been announced.

Minnesota also recognizes Juneteenth as a state holiday. State, county and city offices are closed, as are federal offices and banks.

The following events are among those taking place in the Twin Cities in commemoration of the holiday.

“Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story”: The play, “Kumbayah the Juneteenth Story,” will be presented at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 21, in the Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota. The two-part play tells the history of Juneteenth and was written by Rose McGee, the founder of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie. A pre-show celebration will be held at 10:30 a.m., and there will be a question-and-answer session after the show. Admission is free, but registration is required. More information: northrop.umn.edu/events/kumbayah-the-juneteenth-story-2024.

Juneteenth Breakfast: The Minnesota Humanities Center is hosting a Juneteenth Breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 20, at the St. Paul Event Center. The breakfast will feature a conversation with Bakari Sellers about his new book, “The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now.” Tickets can be purchased at mnhum.org/event/juneteenth-brunch-2024/.

The Music of Rondo: The Rondo Center of Diverse Expression will have a Juneteenth celebration from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza in St. Paul. This year’s celebration will recognize the founders of Walker West Music Academy, Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West. There will be a concert, food vendors and exhibitors. More information: rcodemn.org/events/2024-juneteenth-celebration.

Juneteenth in the Park: The first event of St. Paul Public Library’s “Library in the Park” series will be 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, at Horton Park. There will be cultural performances with COMPAS Teaching Artist Danielle Daniel, stories, games, an old school double-Dutch performance and more. More information: sppl.org/juneteenth.

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