Join MOLA and kick off Pride Month at Boston City Hall! Hear from our office, connect with community organizations, and explore exciting career opportunities. Open to all!

Pride Flag Raising

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Resource and Job Fair

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Juneteenth is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a celebration of the freedom, resilience, and joy that our communities build together every single day.

Join us for Juneteenth Freedom Day 2026 on Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Franklin Park’s Shattuck Picnic Area.

This annual gathering brings together families, neighbors, community organizations, civic partners, and culture bearers from across Boston and the Commonwealth to honor Juneteenth and celebrate the ongoing work of Black freedom.

This day is all about heritage and real connection. We’re creating a space for everyone to feel like they belong, right in the heart of one of Boston’s most historic parks.

Bring your people. Meet us in the park. Let’s celebrate freedom together.

Juneteenth Freedom Day 2026

Saturday, June 20

11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Franklin Park, Shattuck Picnic Area

Join us for the 2026 Beacon Hill Juneteenth Celebration, a free community block party on Joy Street hosted by the Museum of African American History. This vibrant festival is part of the nation's 250th anniversary commemoration — a day of music, art, food, storytelling, and community connection, with more than 1,000 attendees expected from across Greater Boston.

The Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Event Highlights

Joy Street Takeover — A pedestrian-only cultural corridor featuring local Black Boston area vendors, art, music, food trucks, and storytelling.

Main Stage Performances — Live music, spoken word, and performances celebrating Black history and freedom.

Family Zone — Hands-on art, puppetry, face painting, story time, music, and fun for kids of all ages.

Ujima Food and Vendor Marketplace — Black-owned food trucks and local Black artisan vendors.

Wellness and Reflection Area — Drumming and dedicated space for healing and community connection.

Free Museum Access — Complimentary admission and mini tours of the historic African Meeting House and Abiel Smith School.

This event is hosted by the Museum of African American History | Boston and Nantucket, a City of Boston community partner. For more information, visit maah.org.

 Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Today, Juneteenth stands as a celebration of freedom, remembrance, and the ongoing pursuit of equity and justice.

Theme for 2026 "Juneteenth Brings Balance to America's Celebration of Freedom"

The ceremony will feature remarks from City leaders, a keynote address, a flag raising, musical performances, cultural traditions, food, and community gathering.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026

Time: 12 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: Boston City Hall Plaza and Boston City Hall 3rd Floor Mezzanine

This event is free and open to the public.

Program Highlights

• Welcome remarks from City leadership
• Juneteenth reflection and moment of remembrance
• Libation ceremony honoring ancestors and community history
• Keynote address
• Juneteenth proclamation
• Official Juneteenth flag raising ceremony
• Live music and cultural performances
• Community gathering featuring traditional Juneteenth foods and educational displays

Additional Juneteenth Events

Attendees will also be able to learn more about additional Juneteenth celebrations and community events taking place throughout Boston.

Updates and more info

H2O SOS: Water Warning is now on view at the Mezzanine Gallery (3rd floor) in Boston City Hall. This installation will come to life with a special opening performance by the artist.

Directions: Please use the entrance located on Congress St, across from Faneuil Hall. Pass security and take the elevators to the 3rd floor. The reception will take place at the top of the stairs.

Please note the exhibition will be on view through August 14, 2026. For more information visit boston.gov/cityhallgalleries.

Are you looking to grow your artistic practice and build a thriving creative career in Boston? Join the Arts Action Consortium, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and Spark Boston at this free Artist Resource Fair to connect with Boston’s vibrant network of resources and support.

Featuring:

• An art supply swap
• A dance clothing swap
• Access to City departments and arts service organizations
• Free 1:1 arts business coaching
• Free 1:1 physical therapy evaluations
• and more!

Alongside resource sharing, the event will invite creatives into an open dialogue space focused on what artists need to thrive in Boston - from affordable studios and venues to sustainable career pathways. By bringing artists, advocates, and city agencies into conversation, the AAC Resource Fair aims to strengthen Boston’s creative ecosystem and help shape a more sustainable, artist-centered city.

Whether you’re an emerging artist or an established creative, this is a unique opportunity to build connections, gain valuable knowledge, and deepen your engagement with Boston’s arts community. Don’t miss your chance to discover the tools, resources, and relationships that can support and elevate your artistic journey!

The program provides landlords with incentives including signing bonuses, and a dedicated customer service provider throughout the leasing process and tenancy. Learn about the opportunities available and showcase your vacancies to individuals with vouchers who are ready to sign leases!

Learn More

Join us for the kickoff event of the Fourth Annual Cannabis Empowerment Week 2026: Social in the City — an evening centered on education, conversation, and the future of social consumption in Boston.

Hosted by the City of Boston Cannabis Industry Development Team and the Boston Cannabis Board, this informational session will explore Boston’s anticipated municipal planning process, the three new social consumption license types, community impact considerations, and the statewide framework surrounding social consumption.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from City & State representatives, engage in discussion, ask questions, and learn more about how social consumption could shape hospitality, culture, nightlife, equity, and economic opportunity throughout Boston.

Whether you are a business owner, entrepreneur, community member, advocate, consumer, or simply curious about social consumption this event is designed to inform, connect, and empower.

Get Social in the City with us as we kick off a week dedicated to cannabis education, equity, culture, and community.

Looking for support getting connected to resources and navigating City services? Meet with the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement during our community office hours at the East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library. 

Office hours will take place on the following days:

• First Thursday of every month from 4 - 7 p.m. at the East Boston branch
• Fourth Thursday of every month from 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Copley branch

Registration is not required, and interpretation and disability accommodations will be available.