Juneteenth 2026: Community, Honor, and Observance

REGISTER HERE Juneteenth is both a day of solemn reflection and remembrance, and one that commemorates emancipation, June 19, 1865: the date when the last enslaved people in the Confederacy were notified of their freedom following the Civil War. Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday in the United States, known as “National Independence Day”.    The Town of Rye, which is home to one of the area’s most important Black History sites, The Rye African-American Cemetery, once again honors the memory of our forebears with its fourth annual event of service and spoken word at the cemetery, on Saturday, June 28, 2026, beginning at 10 am.‍ THE SERVICE PROJECT: The Town will organize a restoration and preservation project at the African American Cemetery, which will involve the careful painting of markers on previously unmarked graves. This effort is intended to respectfully honor and preserve the memory of individuals whose burial sites are not currently clearly identified, while also encouraging broader community reflection on local history and the significance of Juneteenth.REGISTER HERE WHEN: Saturday, June 28, 202610am - 12pn WHERE: AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY215 North Street, Town of Rye, NY(in the Greenwood Union Cemetery) If you have a service form you would like filled out, please Email it to Councilperson Pam Jaffee at PJaffee@RyeTownNY.gov.* Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.REGISTER FOR SERVICE PROJECT HERE