There are days when you can feel a whole city show up for each other — and Juneteenth Jam 2026 in Salem was one of them. On Friday, June 19, Charlotte Forten Park filled up with music, crafts, a Black-owned pop-up market, and a community honoring freedom together. We grabbed our cameras and spent the day soaking it in, and honestly? The photos say it best.
A park made for this day
Charlotte Forten Park sits right on the South River at 289 Derby Street — named for the Salem-born abolitionist, educator, and writer. On June 19 it became the heart of the City of Salem’s third annual Juneteenth Jam (Festival III), part of a packed slate of free, family-friendly Juneteenth programming across the city, all happening in Salem’s 400+ anniversary year. Things kicked off at 11:30am and rolled into the evening.
Crafts, kids, and the Boys & Girls Club
A row of tents along the waterfront turned into a hands-on zone all afternoon. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem had teens and staff running craft tables — beadwork, pinwheels, and big hand-painted banners with messages like “Together when you can run free.” Kids leaned in over markers and glue while parents chatted; little ones twisted paper pinwheels into the breeze. It was the kind of easy, joyful busyness that makes an event feel like a neighborhood.
Nearby, free custom Salem 400+ bucket hats were being pressed on the spot — and they were everywhere by mid-afternoon, each one a little wearable souvenir of the day.
A market with a mission
The pop-up market spotlighted local Black-owned businesses and community organizations. Cultural Grounds Cafe & Book Boutique (est. 2024) set up a table stacked with works by Black authors — from Black Power Kitchen to Harlem histories and novels — turning a sunny corner of the park into a browse-and-talk reading room. This is what a market with intention looks like: dollars and attention pointed at the people building something locally.
Honoring Sarah Parker Remond — and reading Douglass together
The day’s heart was its history. This year’s keynote honored Sarah Parker Remond, the Salem-born freedom fighter and global activist, on the 200th anniversary of her birth, portrayed by a History Alive living-history performer in period dress. Right after, the community gathered for a public reading and discussion of Frederick Douglass’s The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro, led by Michael Corley, a banner carrying Douglass’s words standing watch over the stage. The reading was made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities through the Mass Cultural Council.
The part you can’t fake: the people
Then there was the music, the food (free eats from Butter Ur Biscuit and red velvet ice cream from Holy Cow Ice Cream, and live sounds from Coco Brown and The Invitation, led by Nicole Harris, from 2:30 to 4 pm. Even Mayor Dominick Pangallo was in the mix — grinning under his own free Salem 400+ “Mayor” bucket hat, right there in the crowd like everybody else. But what we kept catching in the lens was simpler than any single act — neighbors under wide-brimmed hats, big laughs, a “Happy Juneteenth” button on a Frederick Douglass tee, strangers becoming the kind of people who pose together. Look at the faces. That’s the whole story.
What was at Juneteenth Jam 2026
- Keynote: Sarah Parker Remond, portrayed by History Alive (200th birthday tribute)
- Community reading: Frederick Douglass’s Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro
- Live music: Coco Brown and The Invitation (2:30–4pm)
- Food: Butter Ur Biscuit + Holy Cow Ice Cream (red velvet) — free
- For all ages: crafts, pinwheels & banners with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, free Salem 400+ bucket hats, face painting, games
- Pop-up market: local Black-owned businesses & nonprofits, including Cultural Grounds Cafe & Book Boutique
- Plus: a free Black history walking tour with Salem Historical Tours and a contemporary ballet from Jo-Mo-Mé Dance Arts (with the Peabody Essex Museum)
Until next year
Huge thanks to the City of Salem, Mayor Dominick Pangallo’s office, the North Shore Juneteenth Association, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Real Pirate Salem Museum, and every partner, vendor, and volunteer who made this day what it was. Juneteenth Jam is free, it’s for everyone, and it gets better every year — so keep it on your radar for 2027.
Want more of the North Shore’s good stuff — the markets, the music, the days worth showing up for? Follow along with Creative Collective Explores, and we’ll see you out there.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Salem Juneteenth Jam 2026? Friday, June 19, 2026, from 11:30am into the evening, at Charlotte Forten Park, 289 Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts.
Is the Salem Juneteenth Jam free? Yes. The Juneteenth Jam and all of the City of Salem’s Juneteenth events are free, family-friendly, and open to everyone.
Who was honored at the 2026 Salem Juneteenth Jam? Salem-born abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond, on the 200th anniversary of her birth, with a History Alive living-history keynote and a community reading of Frederick Douglass.
What is Salem 400+? Salem 400+ is the citywide commemoration of Salem’s 400th anniversary in 2026, a year of free events, exhibitions, and programs honoring the city’s history and its present communities.
So keep it on your radar for next June. The Salem Juneteenth Jam is free, it’s for everyone, and it gets better every year.
About the author: John Andrews is Founder & President of Creative Collective, covering the makers, small businesses, and creative community across Essex County and the North Shore. He was at Charlotte Forten Park on June 19 with a camera and a love for community!
This story comes from the Creative Collective community — Essex County businesses who believe when we thrive together, our whole region becomes more vibrant. We’re entrepreneurs, creators, and service providers across all industries, collaborating to build the community we want to be part of. If you see your business as more than just commerce — as a way to contribute to our regional ecosystem — you belong here. Discover how to join our community →
North Shore Juneteenth Association | Cultural Education & Community Events
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The mission of The North Shore Juneteenth Association is a group of community leaders seeking to create awareness about the Juneteenth holiday, educate the broader community about positive aspects of African American culture, and dismantle racism by using events and programming as a tool for change.
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