JUNETEENTH
SATURDAY 6/15. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Free-$55.
For several years now, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center has been at the forefront of Juneteenth celebrations in Little Rock, pairing a date symbolic of Black independence with a museum that, year-round, offers glimpses and deep dives into the lives of Black Arkansans in state history. This year, the centerpiece of the holiday in Little Rock is a street festival called Juneteenth in Da Rock. A 5K in the morning routes runners and walkers through some significant local sites in Black history, like Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock Central High School, Philander Smith College and the home of Mifflin Gibbs, the first elected Black judge in the country. (Also of note: Philander Smith is hosting a gospel music festival beginning at 4 p.m Sunday, June 16, featuring performances from Alma Brown & The A-1 Gospel Singers and more.) Meanwhile, you’ll find vendors, food, live music (hello, LeToya Luckett!), educational programming and a health village at the museum, with interpreters acting as “living history” characters inside the museum and an educational Kid’s Zone. Find the link to register for the run, as well as updates on other museum-adjacent events, here.
