Evanston Sets Juneteenth Walk, Celebration, Holiday Closures For 2026

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston residents are invited to mark Juneteenth with a community walk and a city-hosted celebration at Arrington Lagoon in Dawes Park.

The annual observance will begin with Opal's Walk for Freedom and end with a gathering featuring music, activities and community resources.

Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday since 2021 and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States while celebrating Black culture, resilience and achievement.

In Evanston, the day starts with Opal's Walk for Freedom, presented by Evanston Present and Future in partnership with the City of Evanston, Mari Enterprise, and Unity Unlimited. The event is inspired by the advocacy of Dr. Opal Lee, whom the city described as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," and coincides with America's 250th anniversary and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth.

The walk begins at Arrington Lagoon, 1647 Sheridan Rd., and follows the lakefront path north toward Northwestern University before looping back to Lee Street Beach, according to the city. Participants of all ages are invited to join the 2.5-mile route, which symbolizes the two and a half years between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the enforcement of freedom in Texas.

The event will also include an Opal Lee Barbie giveaway honoring Lee's place in Mattel's Inspiring Women collection and a "Colors of Juneteenth" coloring contest based on the coloring book and history guide by Kemone Hendricks.

After the walk, the city's Juneteenth Celebration will be held at Arrington Lagoon in Dawes Park. The event will feature live music and cultural performances by GreenTTea & the Tempos and NAJWA Dance Corps, along with food vendors, community partners, family-friendly activities, children's programming, educational exhibits, historical displays, support for local businesses, and civic engagement opportunities.

The city also announced holiday schedule changes for June 19. Refuse collection will not take place on Juneteenth, and all waste services will be postponed by one day. Parking meters, pay boxes and downtown parking garages will be free, while restricted areas with posted holiday parking rules will still be enforced and no street cleaning will occur.

Morton City Hall, the Chandler-Newberger Center, Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, Evanston Ecology Center, Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, Robert Crown Community Center, Levy Senior Center, Dr. Jorge and Luz Maria Prieto Community Center, and all Evanston Public Library locations will be closed. The 311 Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and online service will remain available at cityofevanston.org/311.