Happy Emancipation Day everyone! As usual, D.C. will celebrate the commemoration of D.C. ending slavery with a whole host of activities and events, including a parade, concert, and, of course, fireworks. Despite concerns over the Emancipation Day celebration fund, all events are happening as planned. Although, in order to make that happen, all future Emancipation Day celebrations will be in the hands of the mayor instead of the D.C. Council.

Could this be the last year we’ll get a star-studded concert with Talib Kweli, Doug E Fresh, and more? Possibly, so you better go and enjoy it. After all, you paid for it.

Today:

Parade
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd Stree and 13 1/2 Street NW.

The official Emancipation Day parade will kick off at 11 a.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. It’ll start at 3rd Street and make its way down to 13 1/2 Street, in front of the Wilson Building. The parade will include dozens of government agencies, community organizations, public officials, and more. Presumably some sort of music and parade-like features, like floats or something.

Concert
3 p.m., Freedom Plaza (13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW)

This year’s Emancipation Day concert will feature performances from Talib Kweli, Doug E. Fresh, DJ Kool, J. Ivy, Black Alley Band, and more. There will also be numerous food and drink vendors present.

Lights of Freedom Candlelight Tribute
7:30 p.m., Walter Pierce Park (2630 Adams Mill Road NW)

At 7:30 p.m., the D.C. Green Corps and community volunteers will gather at Adams Morgan’s Walter Pierce Park for a candlelight tribute “to the 8,428 African American men, women, and children buried following the Civil War” underneath the park, which is D.C.’s “largest uncharted African American burial ground.” Volunteers begin lighting the 2,000 luminaria at 6 p.m.

Fireworks
8:30 p.m., Freedom Plaza (13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW)

What Emancipation Day celebration would be complete without fireworks? None, that’s what. Thus, fireworks will light up the night sky over Freedom Plaza. Vincent Orange’s face may or may not be superimposed into them.

Lincoln’s Cottage
All day, 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW.

Visit and tour Lincoln’s Cottage today and you’ll get a free souvenir scroll of D.C.’s Compensated Emancipation. Bonus: grab some drinks/food at Petworth Citizen (829 Upshur Street NW) after and a portion of sales will go to the Lincoln’s Cottage fund.

Tomorrow:

Panel: Emancipation Day and Home Rule
7 p.m. at the National Archives (7th and Constitution Avenue NW).

Panelists will discuss “the symbiotic relationship between the struggle for emancipation and the struggle for home rule.

Lecture: African-American Marriage, Slavery, and Freedom
7 p.m. at GWU’s City View Room (1957 E Street NW).

GWU will host a “fascinating lecture about chattel slavery and the institution of marriage.”

Friday:

12 Years A Slave: Solomon Northrup’s Washington
1 p.m., Office of Tax and Revenue 3rd floor conference room (1101 4th Street SW).

The D.C. Office of Public Records and the Office of Tax and Revenue will host the second annual Emancipation Day Lunch and Learn event, with author, historian, lecturer, researcher and scholar of the African diaspora C.R. Gibbs discussing the life of Solomon Northrup, whose life story was adapted into the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave.

Street Closures

Per usual, the Emancipation Day celebrations will cause numerous street closures. Here’s the traffic advisory from the Metropolitan Police Department:

  • Pennsylvania Avenue and the surrounding streets will be closed between 3rd and 14th Streets NW from approximately 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Constitution Avenue and the surrounding streets will be closed for staging for the parade between 9th Street and West crossover at Pennsylvania Avenue NW from approximately 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
  • Pennsylvania Avenue and the surrounding streets will be closed between 12th and 14th Streets NW from approximately 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. for the Emancipation Day Festival and fireworks.
  • E Street will be closed between 13th and 14th Streets NW from approximately 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. for the Emancipation Day Festival vendors.
  • 12th Street will also be closed between E Street and Constitution Avenue NW from approximately 8:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. for the fireworks display.

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