The Guelph Black Heritage Society will host a celebration in honour of Juneteenth on Saturday June 28, 2025 from 1pm to 3pm at the Heritage Hall, 83 Essex Street, Guelph. This event will feature live music by Dr Mike and The Nurses, kids crafts with Art by Gaia, refreshments and the premiere of the exhibit “Tattooed Stories: Black Identities, Resistance and Cultural Expression”.
Juneteenth is a 160-year-old commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We observe it on June 19th to memorialize the day in 1865 when, in Galveston, Texas, many enslaved Black folks were informed of the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. This official enforcement actually came late, as it had been well over two years since the signing of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. While Juneteenth marks a significant day in Black history and a day of remembrance, it is also an opportunity to honour and celebrate Black history, heritage and culture.
“Of all Emancipation Day observances, Juneteenth falls closest to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when the sun, at its zenith, defies the darkness in every state, including those once shadowed by slavery.” — Henry Louis Gates, Jr
Lantern Ale is back at Royal City Brewing Company! Stop by Royal City Brewing Company, 199 Victoria Road South, Guelph and get your Lantern Ale. Lanterns, prior to and during the American Civil War, were used as beacons by ‘safe’ houses along the ‘Underground Railroad’ which was a network of people and paths that helped enslaved individuals escape to freedom and to the Queen’s Bush settlement just north of Guelph. The lantern was not only a sign of a safe haven but a symbol of hard-won freedom. Feel the love of the lantern and raise a glass to freedom with us. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the GBHS.
Free admission, suggested donation $10 per person.
This event is presented with support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Proceeds from this event will go towards the Heritage Hall Heart & Soul Campaign. Financial sustainability is a key driver for Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS). It’s our goal to diversify our revenue sources to sustain our building, continue existing events, activities and educational programs, plus create, develop and support new ones in response to community need and demand.
