It’s been four years since Juneteenth became a federal holiday, and Black revelers in metro Atlanta are finding unique ways to mark the occasion.

The annual commemoration of the day in 1865 when formerly enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of Abraham’s Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation takes place on Thursday. Juneteenth celebrations in Atlanta, which began last weekend, will continue through Sunday.

The phrase “Don’t rain on my parade” took on added significance for the estimated 30,000 people who showed up to Piedmont Park for the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival last weekend, according to Bob Johnson, who founded the event 13 years ago.

Johnson said that while attendance was down for the two-day celebration of Black music and culture this year, likely due to the weather, those who showed up danced in the rain while honoring the ancestors.  

Johnson also noted in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that sponsorship for the annual celebration was also lower than in years past due to cutbacks tied to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“It doesn’t even make sense at all how wonderful everything went when you think about what we were up against,” Johnson told Capital B Atlanta Monday. “It did rain, it did thunder, it did all of that, and we still did it.”

Don’t worry if you missed the fun in the park, here’s a rundown of additional Juneteenth programming happening in and around Atlanta this week.

Bullseye Black Market 2.0 in Stonecrest

Local organizers of the nationwide Target boycott are hosting a second showcase of Black-owned businesses, known as the Bullseye Black Market, this weekend.

The two-day event, designed to recirculate more money within the Black community, takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Samson Family Life Center in Stonecrest.

Attendees can register in advance by clicking here.

Jamal Bryant, leader of the Target boycott, launched the economic protest as a Target Fast in March, less than two months after the company’s leaders walked back their DEI initiatives in the wake of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.

Bryant recently added Dollar General to the list of major retailers he’s asking supporters not to patronize due to its own DEI rollback. He positioned the Juneteenth edition of his church’s Black business showcase as a constructive, proactive way for supporters of Black economic empowerment to commemorate the holiday.

“This Juneteenth, we celebrate freedom not only as a moment in history, but as an ongoing mission we are determined to fulfill,” Bryant told Capital B Atlanta via email on Monday. “Our power is not simply in protest, but in creating lasting pathways for economic independence.”

Atlanta

In midtown, the High Museum of Art is hosting a Juneteenth Celebration featuring art making courses, live performances and poetry readings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Adair Park is hosting a Juneteenth Festival featuring “music, food and fun,” from 1 to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Event coordinators with Blaq Atlanta, which organizes social outings aimed at LGBTQ audiences, are hosting their Free AF Juneteenth party at the Monday Night Brewing location on Trabert Avenue from 7 to 11:30 p.m. on Thursday.

High Society Buckhead is hosting a Sinners themed Juneteenth event dubbed “Sins: A Juneteenth Juke Joint” from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday.

College Park

College Park is hosting its second annual Juneteenth Parade & Freedom Celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex on Thursday.

Sandy Springs

Outside the perimeter, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Alpharetta are hosting a joint Juneteenth Celebration beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. 

Programming includes an outdoor celebration at City Green featuring food trucks, live music, games, and an introduction to family genealogical research, according to organizer and Sandy Springs City Council member Melody Kelley. Kelley, who became the first person of color to serve as a city lawmaker in Sandy Springs, said this year’s programming builds on the success of last year’s event.

“I think that’s important for anybody who values other cultures, anybody who values a multicultural experience across Atlanta,” Kelley told Capital B on Monday.