The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will celebrate the Juneteenth holiday this weekend with a concert and garden tour at Frick Park.
Local artists Sierra Sellers and Chandra Rhyme will perform on the lawn of the Frick Park Environmental Center from 6 p.m. till 8 p.m. on Friday.
Guests are also invited to tour the ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ Garden at the site before the music. The hour-long tour will begin at 5 p.m.
The ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ Garden is an outdoor extension of the Heinz History Center’s ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ exhibit.
“During the antebellum period of the 19th century, Pittsburgh became a destination of freedom seekers,” the Parks Conservancy wrote in a description of the garden’s purpose. “The From Slavery to Freedom Garden tells part of that story by showcasing plants used for food and medicinal purposes — some found in woodlands and fields along the journey to freedom, others cultivated in home gardens of free people of color.”
The garden includes wheelchair-accessible paths.
“We are excited to honor Juneteenth with a fun-filled day at the Frick Park Environmental Center,” said Catherine Qureshi, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
In the event of rain Friday, both the garden tour and concert will be moved to Sunday.
Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, commemorates the date in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to tell slaves there that the Civil War had ended and they were free. Juneteenth was declared an official holiday in Pittsburgh in 2020, and it also is recognized on the state and federal level.
A weeklong celebration honoring the holiday in Pittsburgh will include a music festival, a parade and 100 minority-owned business vendors.
