The Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival is bigger than ever — and planning to welcome a special guest this year.
Now in its fourth year, the festival began as a way to honor the legacy of William Dove, the Black man who purchased land in Potomac in 1880 that would become the Scotland neighborhood.
“I just wanted to make sure that I was honoring the work that he put in to make all of this possible for me and my family for generations and generations to come,” said LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, founder and president of the Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival. She’s also Dove’s great-great-granddaughter.
Since then, the festival evolved first into a fundraiser for the Scotland AME Zion Church after its 2019 flood and now into a fundraiser that benefits other nonprofit organizations. Those have included, in years past, the Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery and Reach Beyond Basketball.
Friday’s festival has also extended to several locations in the area, including the church, Cabin John Village, Cabin John Regional Park and Bethesda Big Train.
The festival, celebrating the anniversary of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, features a 5K run, a wellness and social action pavilion, a mobile museum of Black history, an all-day carnival, a parade and a baseball classic, culminating in fireworks.
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“There’s literally something for every generation,” Gasaway-Paul said.
Also new? A guest appearance by Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, who is scheduled to be at Cabin John Park at 9:30 a.m.
“Having Wes Moore there on that day, it means a lot,” Gasaway-Paul said.
Many more Juneteenth celebrations are planned throughout the capital region, including:
- Tours and activities at Josiah Henson Museum and Park in North Bethesda (Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- MahoganyBooks’ Juneteenth Celebration in Oxon Hill (11 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- A Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at National Harbor (Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.)
- A Juneteenth Festival at The Square in Rockville (Friday from 4-9 p.m.)
- The Montgomery County Juneteenth Festival at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown (Saturday from 1-10 p.m.)
Here are more things to do this weekend and beyond.
A free yoga class
Saturday from 9-10 a.m.
Spend time in the sun between a few days of forecasted rain at the Upper Marlboro Community Center for a free outdoor yoga class for yogis 13 and up.
Registration is free.
Patton Oswalt comedy show
Saturday at 8 p.m.
Emmy- and Grammy-winning actor and comedian Patton Oswalt brings his standup comedy set to Strathmore. The Virginia native, whose voice you may recognize as the narrator of “The Goldbergs” or Remy the rat from Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” plans to share jokes about getting older but not wiser.
Tickets range from $39-$78.
Silver Spring Blues Festival
Saturday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Downtown Silver Spring welcomes music lovers to its 17th annual blues festival, bringing together local musicians for a day of performances.
Admission is free.
MCPL’s Summer Reading Challenge Kickoff
Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Montgomery County Public Libraries is celebrating another year of its summer reading challenge with a kickoff event for all ages. Activities are designed for kids and adults at Davis Library in Bethesda, where guests can craft, attend storytime and collect a free giveaway after signing up for summer reading.
Attendance is free.
A UMD philharmonic concert
Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The University of Maryland’s National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic is planning a performance blending a variety of works to showcase the American experience. Just a few days after the NOI Philharmonic made its debut at Carnegie Hall, it returns to College Park for a show at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Tickets range from $10-$45.
Free museum admission for dads on Father’s Day
Sunday from noon-3 p.m.
Dads enter for free on Father’s Day at the Riversdale House Historic Site & Museum in Riverdale Park. Tour guides will lead sessions teaching the history of the fathers and father figures who worked at the historic site’s former plantation.
Tickets are $5 for other adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and free for children 4 and under.




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