Admission is free
Pre-registration is required
Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War. It has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. Joining local cultural organizations, including The Amistad Center for Art & Culture and ShopBlackCT, Hill-Stead is once again hosting this event as part of a month-long series of Juneteenth celebrations taking place throughout the region.
Please join us for a day of discovery and celebration featuring regional Black artists, organizations and businesses. This outdoor community event will offer visual art, food, music, and family fun activities on Hill-Stead’s picturesque grounds.
Dope Fried Foods food truck will be onsite for refreshment, along with Almost Famous Brewing Company.
Registration
Admission is free, but pre-registration will be required for social distance planning purposes. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and exciting event!
Schedule
10 am – 4 pm
ShopBlackCT on the West Lawn
Black-owned businesses offer their items and services for sale. We also welcome the Farmington Historical Society, the Town of Farmington Racial Equity Task Force, and the Farmington High School Black Student Union.
The Amistad Center on the West Lawn
Offering takeaway crafts and information about their exhibitions and other Juneteenth area events on the West Lawn.
11 – 11:30 am
The JADHA Foundation Connecticut American Double Dutch League performs on Hill-Stead’s Veranda
Members will demonstrate this specialized style of jumping rope on Hill-Stead’s Veranda.
12 – 1 pm
Mixed Company performs on Hill-Stead’s Veranda
Formed with the intention to reach higher planes, this quartet uses Jazz and R&B influences to exude infectious grooves and emotive vocals to get the point across. Michael Carabello, Conway Campbell, Jr., Akin Hobson, and Taylor McCoy are your guides, and you are now in Mixed Company.
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Drummer Alvin Carter, Jr. performs on Hill-Stead’s Veranda
Percussionist Alvin Carter, Jr. is a lead drummer for Sankofa Kuumba Cultural Arts Consortium where he plays west Afrikan and Afro-Caribbean drums. He will play drums from his collection while he leads the audience in a drum circle with call and response and song.
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Khaiim the RapOet performs on Hill-Stead’s Veranda
First discovered and introduced to crowds by the Hip-Hop icon Talib Kweli, Khaiim the RapOet has performed internationally with everyone from Pulitzer Prize poets like Alice Walker to Grammy-winning MCs like Common. Hip-Hop heads know him as Self Suffice, the charismatic lyricist whose album with Dreamville’s (J. Cole) Mez Davis summited the Indie Hip-Hop Top 40. His positive use of rap music has been recognized by Obama’s White House, the New York Times, NPR, and others. He continually perfects his craft and has received certificates from the Kennedy Center, NVC, and the Ct Center for (Kingian) Nonviolence, to name a few.
Self Suffice currently has 5 songs in Spotify’s Top 10% Most Played, is 1 of the first Free Center BIPOC grant recipients, and is currently serving his 1st year as the inaugural Troubadour of Hartford, CT which also makes him the U.S.A.’s first Hip-Hop Troubadour. You can find his Make It Full Time program on Instagram at @MIFTkhaiim, where he provides career guidance & support for professional artists.
Many thanks to our sponsor
