GREAT LADIES OF JAZZ to Headline Princeton Festival's Juneteenth Celebration

Leading off the 2026 Princeton Festival's Celebration of America at 250, is a day devoted to Juneteenth activities and a concert highlighting the achievements of jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Judy Garland, among others.

On Friday, June 19 at 7pm, Great Ladies of Jazz vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Aisha de Haas pay tribute to these iconic women through signature songs performed with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lucas Waldin. The concert takes place in the performance pavilion on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden, with Juneteenth activities take place in the Museum's Stockton Education Center starting at 2pm.

From 2-5:30pm, a Special Exhibit Honoring Harriet Powers, a Revolutionary Quilter is on display courtesy of The Princeton Sankofa Stitchers Modern Quilt Guild (PSSMQG). PSSMQG honors African American quilting traditions, and is celebrating Harriett Powers (1837–1910), a Black quilter born enslaved in Georgia. Powers' quilts, like the Bible Quilt and Pictorial Quilt, are iconic in American art. PSSMQG has recreated her Pictorial Quilt with vibrant, modern fabrics, preserving her legacy. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

From 5-7pm, the Princeton Festival hosts a Juneteenth Community Celebration with a gathering of community organizations coming together to share Juneteenth resources, history, food, and knowledge in commemoration of the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Among the organizations are Art Against Racism, Historical Society of Princeton, Morven and Museum and Garden, Racial Justice Ministry of Princeton, part of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, Passage Theatre,

Princeton Parents for Black Children, and YWCA of Princeton. Treats will be available to sample from Tipple & Rose, and Morven's Museum building will be open with free admission from 5-7pm in recognition of Juneteenth. Free and open to the public.

At 5:30pm, Princeton University voice teacher Dr. Rochelle Ellis gives a free pre-concert talk, "Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement.” The talk will explore how legendary jazz vocalists Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald used their acclaim to raise their voices in protest during the Civil Rights Movement. Free and open to the public.

The Princeton Festival's Juneteenth/Celebrating America at 250 events are presented in partnership with the Municipality of Princeton. The Municipality is planning a special Juneteenth flag raising on Thursday, May 18 at 12pm at Monument Hall. Municipal offices will be closed on Friday, June 19 in observance of the holiday.

The Celebration of America at 250 continues on Saturday, June 20 at 7pm, with The Bacon Brothers concert. Emmy-winning composer Michael and A-list actor Kevin (Footloose, Apollo 13, The Woodsman), play their own mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music they call “Forosoco.” Their music and live performances have taken them around the world, from headlining in Japan to playing iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. Olsson's Fine Foods will be onsite with Happy Hour Boxes filled with gourmet cheeses and sandwiches.

Sunday, June 21 at 3pm – The Princeton Symphony Orchestra offers an American Fanfare salute to the USA with Broadway star Julie Benko, conducted by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov. The patriotic program includes works by Aaron Copland, Valerie Coleman, Virgil Thomson, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and John Philip Sousa.

Before the June 21 concert, free family fun for children of all ages sponsored by Hunterdon Hematology Oncology will take place on the back lawn of Morven Museum & Garden from 1-3pm. Activities include stories of American folklore and the American Revolution by the Princeton Storytelling Circle. Attendees can also learn about the events surrounding the ten crucial days of the American Revolution from a Friends of Washington Crossing Park historical reenactor. America 250 flags and red, white, and blue pom-poms will be given out to the first 150 to enter the grounds.

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