Celebrate Juneteenth in Alexandria
The City of Alexandria invites the public to commemorate Juneteenth 2026 with a full day of free, family-friendly events beginning with a concert by the acclaimed Washington Revels Jubilee Voices at Shiloh Baptist Church. This moving performance honors the journey toward freedom through traditional African American storytelling, song, a cappella music, drama, and dance. During the concert, the Jubilee Voices will highlight each of the four churches established during the Civil War: Shiloh Baptist Church, Beulah Baptist Church, Zion Baptist Church, and Third Baptist Church. Following the concert, the celebration continues at the Charles Houston Recreation Center with line dancing, history tours, food, live music, spoken word, teen activities, a blood drive, and more.
When: Friday, June 19, 2026. Concert from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Festival activities from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Concert at Shiloh Baptist Church, 1401 Jamieson Avenue, Alexandria, VA. Festival at Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA.
Tickets: Free and open to the public. No ticket required.
Concert lineup: Washington Revels Jubilee Voices, an ensemble committed to the preservation of African American history and traditions, presenting songs and stories of struggle and perseverance, trials and triumphs. The group was inaugurated in 2010 and performs regularly at heritage sites throughout the Washington DC area.
Festival schedule (indoor): 3:00–4:00 p.m.: Pioneer Senior Awards; 4:00–8:00 p.m.: Shiloh Baptist Church Health Fair; 4:30–6:00 p.m.: Line Dancing; 4:30–6:00 p.m.: Office of Alexandria Independent Policing Auditor Listening Session; 4:30–7:00 p.m.: Tours of the African American Hall of Fame; 5:00–7:00 p.m.: Teen Activities including 3v3 Tournament, TikTok Dance Competition, and Art Competition.
Festival schedule (outdoor): 3:00–7:00 p.m.: Inova Blood Drive; 4:00 p.m.: Event Kick Off with Mayor Alyia Gaskins, opening remarks and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”; 4:30–4:45 p.m.: Performance by Momentum Collective; 4:45 p.m.: ShaSha tha Mouthpiece (MC) hosts with DJ Supa Dan and Line Check; 5:00–6:00 p.m.: EU featuring Sugar Bear (Go-Go Band); 6:00–6:10 p.m.: Carey Nelson (Vocalist); 6:10–6:15 p.m.: Deveneir (Spoken Word); 6:15–6:25 p.m.: CH Bulldogs Junior Cheer Squad; 6:25–7:00 p.m.: ShaSha/DJ Supa Dan and Line Check; 7:00–8:00 p.m.: Mature Clientele Band (Go-Go Band).
Ages: Family-friendly; all ages welcome. Teen activities specifically for ages 11–17 (Juneteenth Mentoring “Grow with Guidance” program also available for ages 11–17, sign up linked on the event page).
Note: The event is part of the City of Alexandria’s Juneteenth 2026 observances, which also include a morning memorial at Douglass Cemetery (10:00–11:15 a.m., keynote by Dr. Elgin Klugh). The concert at Shiloh Baptist Church is followed by the free festival at Charles Houston Recreation Center; both are open to all without charge. African American heritage sites such as the Freedom House Museum and Alexandria Black History Museum are also open with special hours on June 19 (admission charged for non-residents; free for Alexandria residents).