Event marks beginning of week-long Juneteenth festivities featuring "13 Fires" theater production and community panels.

The City of Boulder invites residents to join its Annual Juneteenth Flag Raising and Commemoration on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, located at 1777 Broadway. The free celebration will feature remarks from city and community leaders, live celebration music, and free ice cream.

This year's commemoration kicks off an exceptional week of community-led Juneteenth events, highlighted by the powerful theatrical production "13 Fires: Displacement by Design," an original stageplay by Curtis K. Rogers exploring systemic injustice, racial violence, and the displacement of communities of color through urban expansion and redlining.

"Juneteenth represents freedom, resilience, and the ongoing work toward justice and equity," said Aimee Kane, Equity and Belonging Officer with the City of Boulder. “This year’s celebration connects us to our community partners who are doing critical work to examine our shared history and build a more equitable Boulder.”

Week of Events

Community partners, including the Executive Committee, African American Cultural Events (ECAACE), and local organizations, have coordinated an extensive calendar of Juneteenth programming.

Leading Up to June 17:

  • Friday, June 5: Juneteenth BBQ featuring Live Poetry and Music
    5:00 p.m., Naropa University, Boulder
  • Monday, June 8: "13 Fires: Displacement by Design" Panel & Discussion
    6:00 p.m., Second Baptist Church, 5300 Baseline Rd, Boulder
  • Saturday, June 13: Chautauqua Juneteenth Hike
    10:00 a.m., Chautauqua Park, Boulder

June 17: City of Boulder Juneteenth Flag Raising & Commemoration

  • 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.: City of Boulder Juneteenth Flag Raising & Commemoration
    Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway – Free Event!!

Later in June:

About "13 Fires: Displacement by Design"
The theatrical production traces systemic injustice from Indiana Avenue to Boulder and beyond, examining the systems of redlining, gentrification, and global displacement. The production and accompanying panel discussions bring together global justice advocate Taishya Adams, Indiana Avenue historian and writer David L. Williams, playwright and director Curtis K. Rogers, and eco-social justice educator Sabrina Sideris. For more information, visit ecaace.org/13fires/

City of Boulder's Commitment to Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, first learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The City of Boulder recognizes this historic occasion and the ongoing struggle for equity, justice, and freedom for all people.

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