2025 Festival Highlights

The 2025 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival spanned six days and ten venues, once again standing as the DMV region’s largest Juneteenth celebration. Rooted in the legacy of African American land ownership in the Scotland community, this year’s festival blended music, food, sports, and family fun into an unforgettable week.

Festival highlights included a sold-out musical gala at Bethesda Theater, headlined by Grammy winner Erica Campbell and a powerful performance by the Howard Gospel Choir; opening-night remarks from Congressman Jamie Raskin, who reaffirmed the festival’s mission of justice and unity; a hands-on Touch a Truck expo where kids climbed aboard fire engines, utility vehicles, and police cruisers; and The Taste of Juneteenth, featuring Food Network’s Chopped champion Chef Sammy Davis Jr. The lineup also showcased the Clarence “Pint” Isreal Juneteenth Classic at Povich Field, a community 5K and wellness fair, a classic car showcase, youth sports clinics, and interfaith fellowship gatherings. Record attendance, fresh sponsorships, and broad media coverage showed that the 2025 festival exceeded every expectation and laid the groundwork for even greater impact in the years to come.