Celebrate Juneteenth 2025

On June 19, in celebration of Juneteenth, a holiday which commemorates the official end of slavery in Galveston, Texas, the museum will honor the holiday by celebrating the legacy of the great Black American musician Louis Armstrong with a day of eclectic programming for all ages. Born in New Orleans and later moving to Corona, Queens, Louis Armstrong is celebrated worldwide as a founding figure of jazz, and his universal influence as an artist and cultural icon lives on today.

In partnership with Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM), we will present two collaborative programs including a Collage Animation workshop with LAHM’s Director of Community Engagement Charanya Ramakrishnan inspired by the collage art of Louis Armstrong at 2:00 p.m. and a screening of Martin Ritt’s lively jazz musical Paris Blues at 4:00 p.m. followed by a conversation featuring a presentation of archival materials with LAHM Historian Hyland Harris about Louis Armstrong’s electrifying performances in films from the 1930s to the 1960s. With an Oscar-nominated soundtrack by Duke Ellington, Paris Blues features Satchmo himself and superb performances by Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier.

Starting at 12:15 p.m., visitors can explore the connections between Black music and film with a scavenger hunt throughout our Behind the Screen exhibition, and free Museum passes will be given to the first, second, and third players. At 1:00 p.m., community partner Edge School of the Arts will present African and jazz dances to celebrate our cultural heritage, preceded by music by Planet Mo. At 3:00 p.m., New York City–based musicians of the Entrfied Band will perform jazz instrumentals in tribute to Satchmo. During Museum hours in the Media Game Lab, guests are invited to animate a dance scene or play two games influenced by Black musical styles PaRappa the Rapper and Rock Rap ‘N Roll.

Please note that gallery admission will be free from 2:00–6:00 p.m.

Schedule of events:

12:15 p.m.: Gallery Scavenger Hunt. Meet in the Lobby. (Museum admission)

12:00–6:00 p.m: Media Game Lab activities (Museum admission)

1:00 p.m: Edge School of the Arts dance performance in Courtyard and Lobby (Free)

2:00 p.m: Louis Armstrong Collage Animation Workshop in Fox Amphitheater. RSVP here. (Free with RSVP.)

3:00-4:00 p.m: Music performance by The Entrfied Band in Courtyard (Free)

4:00 p.m: Screening of Paris Blues in the Redstone Theater (Film ticket or Museum admission)

5:30 p.m: Post-screening conversation with historian Hyland Harris (Film ticket)

All programs are free except for the Scavenger Hunt, Media Game Lab activities, and film screening followed by talk, which are included with Museum admission. Paid museum admission includes a film ticket*, but it must be requested upon arrival. Purchase general admission here.

*Please note: tickets for the screening are limited and will be distributed first-come, first-served. You can also purchase a film ticket in advance here and add on Museum admission upon arrival.

Photo credit: Christos Katsiaouni