Juneteenth Sails on Lake Champlain
Where story, water, and community gather.
Reserve your spot.
Since 2021, Juneteenth Sails has invited Black Vermonters to gather on the waters of Lake Champlain in celebration of liberation, community, and joy. What began as a shared vision between All Heart Inspirations and Whistling Man Schooner Co. has become a beloved annual tradition—a space to breathe deeply, connect through storytelling, and experience the beauty of Vermont in community with one another.
This event is a gift to our local Black community—offered at no cost to participants and made possible through the collective generosity of our village. Each year, community members, local businesses, and supporters come together to ensure that Black Vermonters can gather in celebration, build meaningful connections, and experience the beauty of Lake Champlain in community with one another.
Let’s Sail
This summer, we’re offering 7 sunset sails. Registration is open! Reserve your seat now.
Sunday, June 14th - Thursday, June 18th, we return to the water for Juneteenth celebrations aboard Whistling Man Schooner’s whimiscal vessels— Friend Ship, Wild Rose, and Buttercup. This is a gathering for Black Vermonters to rest, reflect, and be together on Lake Champlain—rooted in joy, liberation, and collective care.
On Juneteenth, on Lake Champlain.
Footage from the inaugural Juneteenth Sails filmed by Isora Lithgow Creations.
Sail.
Juneteenth Sails is a gathering for Black and African diaspora community members (21+). We sail together on Lake Champlain through story, presence, and connection.
Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Support.
It takes a village to hold spaces like this—rooted in Black joy, connection, and care on Lake Champlain.
Your support helps sustain this gathering and the people who make it possible, year after year.
Honor.
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
It is a celebration of liberation, culture, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.
Celebrate Black joy through community gatherings, remembrance, and shared cultural practices across Vermont.
6 Years of Sailing Together
(est. 2021)
250+ Black Vermont residents welcomed aboard
7+ community sails each year
Thousands of dollars redistributed to local Black-led organizations
Hundreds of stories shared on Lake Champlain
Countless moments of joy, connection, and belonging
A gift to Vermont's Black community.
Gift + Legacy
It takes a village to hold spaces like this—rooted in Black joy, connection, and community care.
Your contribution helps sustain this gift to Vermont's Black community and carry forward a growing legacy of belonging, celebration, and Black history on Lake Champlain.
You're invited to Sail It Forward!
“Love is an action, never simply a feeling.”
— bell hooks