Local Events

  • In Bangor, on Saturday June 24 at 11am (check-in by 10am), you can join the Bangor Pride Parade at the Davenport Park and later attend the Bangor Pride Festival during noon-4pm.
  • In Portland, on Saturday June 17 during 1pm-5pm, join the Pride parade and festival starting at Monument Square and ending at Deering Oaks Park.
  • In Brunswick, on Saturday June 10 at noon, join the Pride festival at the Brunswick Town Mall.
  • In Ogunquit, you can attend a range of events between June 1 to June 5 at different parts of town.
  • In Ellsworth, you can join a number of events including a festival, a hike, and an intergenerational chat between June 11 to June 24.
  • In Bar Harbor, you can attend the Pride festival between June 8-10.
  • In Portland, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine is organizing several events such as a makerspace and a collaborative art project to celebrate Pride Month that you can attend throughout June.
  • Check out Equality Maine’s Pride Month Calendar find more events you can attend throughout the state.

Learning Resources

Local Events

Below are several local 2023 Juneteenth events scheduled throughout Maine.

Juneteenth: A Change We’re Waiting For — Maine Inside Out 

In Lewiston, on Friday June 16 during 4:30 pm-6:30 pm, you can visit Kennedy Park to enjoy original artistic performances by Maine Inside Out members and BIPOC artists from the community, tables hosted by Lewiston organizations, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities.

Weekend on the Water

In Lamoine, on Saturday June 17 and Sunday June 18, Black and Brown people and their families can visit Lamoine State Park to enjoy food and activities including camping, sailing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, star gazing, wading, and others, all free of cost.

Juneteenth Downeast Commemoration

In Ellsworth, on Monday June 19 from 2pm-6pm, you can attend the 2023 Juneteenth Downeast Commemoration at Knowlton Park. The event will feature activities, food, music, speakers from the Black community, Chief Oscar Mokeme of the Museum of African Culture, and Pihcintu Multinational Girls’ Chorus.

State of Black Maine Symposium

In Portland, you can attend the State of Black Maine Symposium at the University of Southern Maine on Monday June 19. Organized by the Maine Black Community Development, this annual multigenerational statewide gathering will include artistic performances, plenary convenings, panel discussions, exhibitions, food, history and contemporary conditions among Maine’s Black communities.

Miss Juneteenth

In Waterville, on Monday June 19 at 7 pm, watch the film Miss Juneteenth (2020) at the Railroad Square Cinema presented by Maine Film Center.

Honoring Resilience: Juneteenth Celebration

In Lewiston, On Tuesday June 20 at 4pm-7:30pm, attend the Juneteenth celebration organized by Community Organizing Alliance (COA) at the Ramada Inn and learn from the panelists, explore DEI strategies for your organization, and discover approaches to become a better ally. 

Learning Resources

If you are not able to make the local events, or want to know more, take a moment to learn about this holiday and its place in U.S. history through this non-exhaustive list of resources:

  • Check out the teaching and learning resources on Juneteenth provided by the Maine Department of Education.
  • Listen to the Maine Public Radio podcast by Noelle Chaddock, Kenneth C. Davis, and James Varner.
  • Access resources provided by the U.S. National Archives.
  • Take some time to learn about Black American history and culture by reading a book. This reading list curated by the National Museum of African American History & Culture features books categorized around different themes and age groups.
  • Take this opportunity to teach your kids the history of Juneteenth.
  • Watch a movie – many streaming services currently have made movies and shows centered around Black American history and culture very easily accessible.
  • Support and invest in Black-led and -owned businesses and organizations; support can be as simple as tagging and sharing on social media if you do not have the ability to do it financially.

In 2019, Governor Janet T Mills proclaimed World Refugee Day to be celebrated throughout the state of Maine in recognition of the contribution of refugees to Maine’s economy and culture for more than 40 years. The theme of this year’s World Refugee Day is “hope away from home.” Celebrate the day by financially supporting the education of refugee children, creating art to raise funds for refugees, and share information on social media to raise awareness.

Local Events

L/A World Refugee Day

In Lewiston, On Tuesday June 20 during 4:30pm-7:00pm, you can attend the L/A World Refugee Day event at the Simard Payne Park. The event has been organized by the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine since 2004.

South Portland Human Rights Commission Event

In South Portland, on Monday June 19 during 1:00pm-5:00pm, attend the joint celebration of World Refugee Day and Juneteenth at the Redbank Community Center. Organized by the South Portland Human Rights Commission, the event will feature food, music, and educational offerings.

Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center Celebration

In Portland, on Monday June 19 during 5:30pm-8:30pm, visit Congress Square Park to join the joint World Refugee Day and Juneteenth Celebration organized by the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center and Monday of the Minds. The event will feature guest speakers, food vendors, and live performances.

Learning Resources

Litha, also known as Midsummer, is one of the eight Wiccan sabbats during the year. It is often observed through bonfires and dancing on summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. The day has its origins in pre-Christian Europe. Midsummer is also a cultural festival and is known by other names in many countries.

Learning Resources

Muslims often take a day off from school or work on Eid ul-Adha. This day also marks the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage), the fifth pillar of Islam that is obligatory on able-bodied and financially capable Muslims once during their lifetime, to the cities of Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia.

Learning Resources