Juneteenth Celebration at Florence Griswold Museum

The Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme will host a Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday, June 22, beginning at 2 pm on the museum’s north grounds. This free event marks both the Juneteenth holiday and the closing of the exhibition Their Kindred Earth: Photographs by William Earle Williams.

The afternoon will feature live jazz performed by the Avery Sharpe Quartet and powerful readings by Witness Stones Poets Marilyn Nelson, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward, and Antoinette Brim-Bell. Their poetry pays tribute to individuals commemorated with Witness Stones plaques, offering moving reflections rooted in local history. Seating will be available under a tent, and guests are encouraged to bring additional lawn chairs.

Following the program, Artist-in-Residence William Earle Williams will sign copies of Their Kindred Earth, the exhibition catalogue featuring his 120 photographs of Old Lyme and the greater Connecticut region. Books will be available for purchase at the event and in the museum shop.

In case of rain, the celebration will take place at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, located at 2 Ferry Road.

The Florence Griswold Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, Connecticut. For more details, visit florencegriswoldmuseum.org.