Scotland Community Juneteenth Heritage Festival Announced

Celebration at Cabin John to Benefit the Scotland AME Zion Church Restoration

Celebrating the past and present of the first places African-Americans owned land in Montgomery County, the Scotland community of Potomac, Md., is announcing a significant expansion of its annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival for 2023. Featuring a children’s carnival and music performance, as well as art exhibitions, food, sports, and presentations on Black history in this region, the events for the federal holiday on Monday, June 19, will be spread across the Cabin John Regional Park, Cabin John Village, and the Scotland community on Seven Locks Road.

“The Scotland community is thrilled to be working with so many great organizations across this County to celebrate our proud history,” said Festival Chairperson LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, a fifth- generation resident of Scotland. “We envision this event becoming a preeminent destination for celebrating Juneteenth in the state of Maryland and the DMV. Even more importantly, we believe the community connections from growing this Festival will help to improve lives and foster greater understanding in the years ahead.”

The Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival will begin the evening of June 17 with a musical gala at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club and conclude on June 19 with a Freedom Day Concert at the Scotland community from 5:30-8:30 p.m. A highlight of the weekend will be the second-annual Clarence “Pint” Isreal Juneteenth Classic hosted by Bethesda Big Train Baseball at Povich Field on June 19 at 7 p.m. The game honors Isreal, a Rockville resident who became a star of the Negro Leagues in the 1940s.

The Festival will also feature a 5K run, other Health & Wellness initiatives, as well as a classic car show. Other attractions will include presentations on social justice and faith communities. All net proceeds from the 2023 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival will benefit the 2nd Century Project, a capital campaign launched in 2022 for the purpose of repairing and expanding the historic Scotland AME Zion Church on Seven Locks Road. The church, built by hand by congregants from 1915-1924, was severely damaged by a flood in the summer of 2019. In future years, the Festival will benefit other African-American causes in the region.
Organizers will release Festival schedules, including information on tickets and passes, in April.

For information on volunteering or organizing events, email LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, [email protected], or Chuck Williams, [email protected]. For information on becoming a Festival sponsor, email Paul Tukey, [email protected].