The Bethlehem NAACP is hosting its first official “Juneteenth Day Celebration” Friday, June 18. The holiday commemorates African Americans’ freedom from slavery following the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation by a nation committed to equality.

The event in the City of Bethlehem Sculpture Garden at 10 East Church St. at 5 p.m. will feature an evening of music, arts and crafts, African drumming, and festive dance. Food representing the earlier period of slavery will also be featured at this historic community gathering.