Emancipation Day 2017 street closures

This Saturday, there will be two parades in Washington, D.C., the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and the Emancipation Day Parade. The Emancipation Day Parade will celebrate Washington, D.C.’s 155th anniversary.

On April 16, 1862, the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act was unveiled, ending slavering in the District, freeing 3,100 individuals. The legislation also reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate.

In a statement, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “On Saturday, we will celebrate our city's progress. We will celebrate not just our city's diversity, but our embrace of that diversity. And we will remember why we must keep moving forward—why we must keep fighting for full access to our country's democracy, promoting our D.C. values and ensuring that as our city prospers, no resident is left behind.”

The parade will begin at 1 p.m. with a concert at the Freedom Plaza at 3 p.m. Fireworks will occur at 9 p.m.

Because of the concert, which will begin at 3 p.m., the following streets will be closed:

• E Street NW from 12th Street NW to 14th Street NW
• Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 12th Street NW to 14th Street NW
• 13th Street NW from E Street NW to Pennsylvania Avenue NW

The following streets will also be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the parade staging area:

· 10th Street NW between E Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW

The following streets will be closed from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the parade:

• Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 9th Street NW to 14th Street NW
• 10th Street NW between E Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW
• 11th Street NW between E Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
• 12th Street NW between E Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW
• 13th Street NW from E Street NW to Pennsylvania Avenue NW
• E Street NW between 13th Street NW and 14th Street NW