Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council and National Harbor to Hold Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration on National Harbor Waterfront

LARGO and NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., June 12, 2023–– Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council and National Harbor will hold the Second Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at National Harbor on Monday, June 19 from 5-7 p.m. (151 National Plaza, National Harbor, Md. 20745.) The event commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. This year’s event promises to be even more captivating, with an array of artistic performances, poetry readings, a vendor marketplace, and interactive experiences that showcase the richness and diversity of African American culture. 

Hosted by Prince George’s own, Autumn Joi Live, the celebration features poetry readings from the recently appointed Prince George’s County Poet Laureate, Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Ed.D, and Youth Poet Laureate, Precious Foreman, as well as performances by DuPont Brass and Prince George’s Cultural Arts Foundation’s African Drumming and Percussions Master Class. The event aims to educate, engage and entertain attendees through artistic performances and activities.  

 "We are thrilled to be partnering with National Harbor to bring the community together once again for this exciting Juneteenth Celebration Event," said Rhonda Dallas, CEO and chief curator of the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council. "This event aims to not only celebrate the significance of Juneteenth but also provide a platform for local artists to showcase their talent and promote dialogue around important social issues."  

“National Harbor is excited to partner and host this second annual Juneteenth celebration,” added Lauren Fells who is coordinating the event for National Harbor. “This is a great event to showcase diversity and unity in our community.” National Harbor has a large number of African American entrepreneur retailers with many who are also women-owned and one that is veteran owned. “National Harbor has long been recognized as a top location for African American business owners successfully launching their entrepreneurial dream business,” said Fells.  

The Juneteenth Freedom Celebration is free and open to the public, welcoming individuals, and families from all backgrounds to participate in this cultural celebration. The marketplace will open to the public at 1 p.m. with a variety of local, Black-owned businesses. Support from the Maryland State Arts Council has also made this event possible. 

For more information, click here, or visit www.nationalharbor.com/events and search for “Juneteenth.”  

About PGAHC  

As the legislated local arts agency for Prince George’s County, PGAHC fosters and expands art opportunities for all County citizens and visitors to create a world-class cultural environment where high-quality arts and humanities programs are diverse, equitable, and inclusive. PGAHC leverages its partnerships to support and provide various arts and cultural programming opportunities, art-centered economic development programs, grants as well as advocacy initiatives for legislative support of the arts on the County and State levels.  

About the National Harbor 

Now celebrating its 15th year. The property, situated on the banks of the historic Potomac River and just minutes from the nation’s capital, National Harbor is a waterfront resort destination unlike any other. National Harbor is home to two of Maryland’s Four Diamond rated hotels—Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, the East Coast’s largest non-gaming hotel and convention center and has almost 2,000 hotel rooms and 660,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and MGM National Harbor, an integrated luxury casino resort with renowned chef-driven restaurants, a 3,000-seat state-of-the art theater and one of the largest gaming floors outside of Las Vegas. The vibrant Waterfront District features boutique shops, restaurants and entertainment options along picturesque promenades. The iconic Capital Wheel, a 180-ft observation wheel, Tanger Outlets’ 85 designer brands, and a robust calendar of events round out this destination that welcomes more than 15.2 million visitors a year. For more information, visit www.nationalharbor.com.