Celebrate Juneteenth in the QCA
Daniel Hoffman
Published Mar 14, 2026
Juneteenth activities in the Quad Cities are back and bigger than ever, this weekend from Friday through Monday, June 16-19.
New film festival
The opening reception of the new Pulling Focus African American Film Festival, celebrating cinema of the Black Diaspora in honor of Juneteenth will be Friday, June 16th. The free event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at TMBC Lincoln Center Complex, 318 E. 7th St., Davenport.
During the three-day film festival, you will experience captivating films, engaging conversations, and cultural connections. Discover the diverse stories of African-American filmmakers and commemorate Juneteenth, the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.
The inaugural Pulling Focus African American Film Festival will showcase 35 exceptional films over two days, June 16-17, at the Putnam Museum Giant Screen Theater and the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, with a closing awards ceremony on Sunday.
The new festival, hosted by the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, aims to amplify Black voices from the Black Diaspora and celebrate the power of Black cinema.
The festival aims to explore and celebrate the complexity and diversity of the Black experience globally. The event fills a crucial gap in the market by highlighting often overlooked Black voices and stories. For a screening schedule and tickets, click HERE.
It will be held annually during the Juneteenth federal holiday to commemorate and celebrate, in our region, the struggles and triumphs of the Black Diaspora.
The Friends of MLK will host the third-annual QC Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 17, at the Lincoln Center, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will include food and retail vendors; local and national history information; community and resource booths; and fun-filled games and live entertainment for the whole family.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (a combination of “June” and “19th”) is now a federal holiday, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the U.S.
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official Jan. 1, 1863.
President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, June 13 to commemorate Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday which the president said will “breathe a new life in the very essence of America.”
“To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand the war was never fought over it, it wasn’t just about a union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom,” the president said.
Rhythm on the River
On Sunday, June 18, a new concert — Rhythm on the River at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in downtown Rock Island — will include a community choir, spoken-word artist Aubrey Barnes, 10 of Soul, CJ Parker and DJ Captain, a veteran rap artist.
Rhythm on the River admission is $5, with kids 12 and under free. The music will start at 6 p.m., and food and beverages will be provided by Bragg BBQ food truck, Rock Island Parks, and Bent River Brewing Company. No outside food and drink is allowed.
Blankets or chairs are encouraged and recommended.
Arsenal Island ceremony
On Monday, June 19, at 10 a.m. at Rock Island National Cemetery on Arsenal Island, there will be a ceremony honoring the 108th United States Colored Troops Infantry.
The 108th United States Colored Troops Infantry (USCT) was a regiment of 980 men who were mostly former slaves from Kentucky. The regiment was sent to guard Confederate prisoners of war at the Rock Island Prison Barracks during the Civil War. The prison is now the site of the Rock Island Arsenal.
During their eight-month stay here, 50 men from the regiment died and are buried at the Rock Island Arsenal National Cemetery.
