Honoring Black & Afro-Indigenous Civil War Veterans
Ancestral Bridges will host the 6th Annual Juneteenth Legacy Celebration, “The Homecoming,” on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The event begins at 12:00 PM at West Cemetery, Triangle Street, followed by a celebration at 1:00 PM at Ancestral Bridges, 29A Cottage Street. The day honors Black and Afro-Indigenous Amherst residents who served in the Massachusetts 5th Cavalry and 54th Regiment during the Civil War and walked from Texas back to Amherst 161 years ago.
Reenactors, Jazz Tribute & Open Houses
Features include Peter Brace Brigade reenactors, a tribute to Amherst’s jazz roots with Avery Sharpe, and Homecoming Stations at Amherst College Archives, Amherst College CCE, Amherst Media, Emily Dickinson Museum, Mead Art Museum, and UMass Downtown. An open house at Ancestral Bridges will feature the “A Revolutionary Response” exhibit. Transportation to and from West Cemetery and Ancestral Bridges is available from designated parking at Amherst High School and Ancestral Bridges’ far back lot.
For more information, visit the Ancestral Bridges website.
