As the nation prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, a group of Anacostia residents and shop owners is starting a new tradition honoring those who sought freedom in D.C.
The 11th Street Bridge has connected the Anacostia neighborhood to downtown D.C. since 1965. In the 1800s, before the modern bridge was built, there was the Eastern Branch Navy Yard Bridge.
Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.
WATCH HEREA plaque stands in the area today, honoring the enslaved people who walked across that bridge to freedom in D.C. Last Saturday, residents gathered for an annual walk beneath the 11th Street Bridge.
“I remember years ago seeing this plaque on the wall, and I didn't know the story that the slaves, our ancestors, were freed, freed walking across this bridge from Maryland in 1862,” community activist Ron Moten said.
We have the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily.
SIGN UP 
This week, Moten led a group in announcing the Juneteenth Jubilee: Freedom & Unity Walk to mark the holiday on June 19, also known as Emancipation Day.
Moten said the area has so much history, and he wants to teach people about it.
“Normally, bridges destroy communities when they're built, or they divide communities. We want to use this bridge to bring both sides of the river together and celebrate a historic community,” Moten said.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of liberation reached 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, the Smithsonian Museum says. That was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863.
"What we are doing is going to highlight the importance of Juneteenth, the importance of the freedom from slavery, and let people know that we actually were freed of slavery in D.C. before the rest of the country," Linda Greene, the owner of Anacostia Organics, said.
She's looking forward to bringing attention to the history and culture of Anacostia, a predominantly Black neighborhood once home to figures including abolitionist Frederick Douglass and longtime D.C. mayor Marion Barry.
Juneteenth is often a joyful celebration marking liberation and freedom from slavery, with festivals, museum exhibits and more events. Here are some ways to celebrate in the D.C. area.
Festivals and more on Thursday
The Annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival in Bethesda, hosted by a historically Black church founded in 1880, culminates with a family carnival, exhibition, sports and fireworks.
At Sycamore and Oak in Southeast D.C., the Juneteenth Homecoming will celebrate D.C. streetwear. The event from 3-8 p.m. will feature a vendor market and performances by Junkyard Band and Backyard Band.
Bread for the City will host a family-friendly block party in Anacostia, complete with a marketplace, food, performances and dancing. It begins at 1 p.m.
The Juneteenth Community Festival at the ONE DC Black Workers Center & Lot (2500 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE) will bring together food, music, spoken word and fire dancers.
Find other festivals on the federal holiday in Alexandria and at National Harbor.
Celebrations and live music on Saturday
The Anacosita Community Museum will host morning yoga and gardening classes before main stage performances kick off at noon, headlined by Black Alley.
D.C.’s Home Rule Music Festival is a great choice for local bands and culture, especially during Black Music Month.
Near Germantown? Don’t miss a big celebration at BlackRock Center for the Arts, including live music, dance, workshops, an artisan market and more.
Rockville and Leesburg also have planned festivities.
Juneteenth events for kids
The festivals mentioned above are family-friendly, but little ones may particularly like drop-in music activities at the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s celebration on Saturday or the Juneteenth Block Party in Largo.
Museum exhibits
The National Archives is set to display the Emancipation Proclamation and “Juneteenth” General Order No. 3 during regular hours from Thursday to Sunday.
Also worth seeing: the Renwick’s display of quilts by Black women artists and the National Gallery of Art’s Elizabeth Catlett exhibit, which both end soon.
Want to know what's up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.
