15 Juneteenth Food Ideas for Your Summer Celebration

There is more than one way to celebrate Juneteenth. Backyard barbecues, cookouts, humble picnics at your neighborhood park, or queuing up to buy food at a local festival are ways to celebrate the newly nationally recognized holiday.  Honoring June 19, 1865, the day more than 200,000 enslaved Black Texans were told they were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, is an annual tradition that has long been celebrated from Austin to Milkwaukee to Oakland and Washington, DC. The cookout or barbecue is the heart of Juneteenth festivities; it’s intergenerational, with uncles, aunties, daddies, cousins, and children jockeying for the winning prize of the liveliest dish.

From Louisville, Kentucky, to Monroe, Louisiana, to Los Angeles, California, home cooks make what many call the essentials: red drinks, grilled or smoked meats, seasonal sides, and desserts. For Black people across the African diaspora, making and drinking red drinks is second nature; steeped hibiscus, watermelon juice, or ruby fruits serve as thirst quenchers and nod to our ancestors for their sacrifices. The meat (or mushrooms or fish) must please the crowd, and we all know that burgers and hot dogs are a go. Designate the grill master and have the guests go back for seconds. Simple sides like slaws, salads, and baked beans satisfy family and friends—this is the flex for home cooks. And of course, ice cream is a quintessential summertime treat; you’ll find it at Juneteenth gatherings, often alongside seasonal fruit cobblers.

Here are 15 festive recipes for however you celebrate Juneteenth.