A celebration of the rich history of African Americans in Ocean City will be held outdoors from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 15, on Haven Avenue between 7th Street and 8th Street. The local Juneteenth event will be free to attend and will include music, stand-up comedy, special guest speakers, a gospel power hour, vendors, food trucks and family activities.
At 3 p.m. Sunday, June 16, the Ocean City Arts Center will present Karen “Queen Nur” Abdul-Malik in an early celebration and commemoration of Juneteenth in the Chris Maloney Lecture Hall of the Ocean City Public Library, 1735 Simpson Avenue, Ocean City. It is free and open to the public.
The program begins with a story honoring ancestors and Queen Nur’s telling that story at Elmina Castle in Ghana. The journey continues in celebration of resilience and resistance through the “knowing” of the right to freedom that was expressed in the hushes and hollers as coded messages through songs, chants, field hollers. The performance renders a powerful story of Henry Box Brown and leads us to the story of the writing of the emancipation and the 2.5-year delay in its reaching Galveston Texas on June 19, 1865. Storytelling is intertwined with African drumming, including a log drum (the first drum made in Africa), slit gongs and cajons.
Queen Nur is a nationally renowned storyteller, teaching artist and folklorist. Karen “Queen Nur” Abdul-Malik from Willingboro, is one of the five South Jersey recipients of New Jersey State Council of the Arts’ inaugural New Jersey Heritage Fellowships. This program is made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Visit the Ocean City Arts Center website at oceancityartscenter.org for more information and to reserve your seat, or call (609) 399-7628. Visit Queen Nur’s site at queennur.com.
HEALTH, FITNESS & WELLNESS EXPO ON SATURDAY
The annual Health, Fitness & Wellness Expo is set for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 15, at the Ocean City Music Pier. The event features health food, yoga and fitness classes, speakers, vendors, blood pressure screenings, a kids corner and more. All are invited to this free event, sponsored by the Ocean City Healthy Living Advisory Council.
The program includes:
- 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.: Chakra Yoga with Sound Healing
- 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Jiu Jitsu Demo
- 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: HIIT Class
- 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Athleisure Fashion Show
COMING UP IN JUNE
JUNE 21 – The Philadelphia Wind Symphony: The 40-plus member Philadelphia Wind Symphony will perform traditional wind band classics to round out their 2023- 2024 season. Their performance will serve as an official musical celebration to start the summer featuring marches, soloists and entertaining selections for the entire family to enjoy. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice.
JUNE 22 – Antique Auto Show: More than 300 vintage vehicles will be on display on the Tabernacle grounds (Sixth Street and Asbury Avenue) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by a Boardwalk parade. For more information, visit jerseycape.aaca.com.
JUNE 24 – Let’s Sing Taylor — A Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift: Two concerts (5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available atetix.com. Produced by BRE Presents.
JUNE 25 – Kenny G: The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Tickets available at etix.com. Produced by BRE Presents.
JUNE 30 – Bernadette Peters Performing with the Ocean City Pops: Peters will join the Pops at the Ocean City Music Pier to kick off the 2024 season. The award-winning actress and singer’s career spans film, television and stage. She won Tony Awards for her roles in the musicals “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Song and Dance,” and she received five other nominations and an honorary award. Four of the cast albums on which she starred have won Grammy Awards. Tickets for this show are sold out.
