With the first day of Summerfest 2025 coinciding with Juneteenth Day, the festival announced earlier this year that it would team up with Northcott Neighborhood House on a celebration at Henry Maier Festival Park. Today, we got even more details about the programming, including the first batch of artists who will perform that evening.
The Juneteenth Day event will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 19, following the traditional parade and festival on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive that’s hosted by Northcott Neighborhood House. Among the acts Summerfest visitors will be able to check out that night are:
- Gary Clark Jr.
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- Ginuwine
- Joy Oladokun
- Mike Jones
“We are honored to develop a new partnership with Northcott Neighborhood House to commemorate Juneteenth Day,” Milwaukee World Festival president and CEO Sarah Pancheri said in a release. “Milwaukee’s Juneteenth festival and Summerfest are longstanding events in our community, which speak to our tradition as The City of Festivals.”
Added Northcott Neighborhood House Executive Director Tony Kearney, “Our partnership with Summerfest is significant to sharing the Juneteenth Day celebration and history with our city and visitors. The extended entertainment and programming planned at Summerfest to commemorate the Juneteenth Day holiday will be part of the legacy of our longstanding position as one of the largest and oldest celebrations in the country.”
That programming will feature a special opening ceremony with Northcott Neighborhood House to recognize the day. The ceremony will include performances, remarks from special guests and recognition for Juneteenth scholarship recipients. Summerfest also noted that it will share more Juneteenth Day artists and other details about the celebration later in 2025.
