Helena's Juneteenth Celebration Revives Montana's Historic Tradition

Helena is bringing back a piece of Montana history this week with its community-wide Juneteenth celebration, reviving a tradition that once drew thousands of Montanans together across the state.

The two-day celebration kicks off Wednesday, June 18, with Alive at Five at Lewis and Clark Brewing from 5 to 9 p.m. Ronnie and the Redwoods, a Rock and Americana band from West Texas, will provide live music while food trucks serve up dinner. A portion of the evening's proceeds will support Black history education programs.

Thursday's main celebration moves to The Myrna Loy and the County Courthouse lawn for a full day of activities. The Helena Fire Department will host a community barbecue from 5 to 7 p.m., complete with traditional lawn games and sidewalk chalk art-making. Those looking to dig deeper into local history can catch the Black History Tour Train at 4:15 or 5:30 p.m. (advance registration required). The evening concludes with a performance by spoken word artist Blck Agua and film director Nnamdi Kanaga at 7:30 p.m.

What many Montanans don't realize is that Juneteenth celebrations have deep roots in the Treasure State. From the 1880s through at least the 1930s, Black communities throughout Montana held elaborate Emancipation Day gatherings in cities from Anaconda to Miles City. These weren't small affairs—some drew over a thousand people, with railroads offering special reduced fares for the occasion.

The celebrations were community spectacles featuring everything from speeches and theatrical performances to baseball games, fishing contests, and the occasional greased pole climbing competition. The 1885 Montana Record-Herald described Helena's celebration as a "whirlwind of mirth and festivity," while one visitor from Bozeman called it "the proudest day of her life."

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops finally reached Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Though President Lincoln had declared an end to slavery in Confederate territories two and a half years earlier, the proclamation had been largely ignored in remote Texas. The newly freed community celebrated with music, barbecues, and church services—traditions that spread across the country.

Helena's modern celebration reflects both that historic spirit and Montana's own rich tradition of Emancipation Day gatherings. The partnership between Alive at Five, the City of Helena, the Montana Historical Society, The Myrna Loy, and the Holter Museum of Art demonstrates how historical awareness can bring communities together around shared stories.

These celebrations offer a chance to rediscover a chapter that many Montanans never learned about in school. The fact that communities across Montana once gathered by the hundreds and thousands for these celebrations speaks to their significance in the state's social fabric.

Thursday's events are free and open to all, though tickets are required for the evening performance. Registration for the Black History Tour Train and additional details are available at mths.mt.gov/education/index1 or by contacting Laura Marsh at [email protected].

Whether you're drawn by the history, the community barbecue, or simply curious about a Montana tradition that deserves to be better known, Helena's Juneteenth celebration offers something for everyone.