Irving

North Texas Cities Set to Celebrate Juneteenth with Festivals, Museum Tours, Music

Communities across the state have celebrated Juneteenth with flags, food and historic remembrances of when Texas slaves learned they were free.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston to declare Texas slaves free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Organizers say more than 200 people attended a prayer breakfast Monday in Galveston at the Ashton Villa, site of the city's Juneteenth monument.

A family festival was planned Monday in Dallas at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.

Juneteenth parades were held Saturday in a number of cities, including Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, San Angelo and San Antonio.

Dallas

  • Dallas' Juneteenth Festival will be on Monday, June 19, from 2-7 p.m. The family event will feature local vendors, live entertainment, food and other activities. 
  • It will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, which is located at 2922 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Fort Worth

  • In Fort Worth, a weekend of festivities is planned culminating with a viewing of "The Last to Know" at 7 p.m. Monday night.
  • A full schedule of the Fort Worth events can be seen here. Events include a service and prayer Friday, a parade, concert and festival on Saturday and another concert Sunday.
  • The screening of "The Last to Know" will be shown at the Tarrant County College South Campus Performing Arts Center.  RSVP here if you'd like to attend the free showing.

Irving

  • The City of Irving and the West Irving Improvement Association are gearing up for Juneteenth celebrations Saturday, June 17.
  • Event-goers can enjoy a free community picnic sponsored by In-N-Out Burger, a concert, a theatrical performance and tours of the Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center
  • The museums share the history of African-Americans in the Bear Creek community from the time of emancipation through the Civil Rights movement.

Here is the schedule of events:

  • 5 to 6 p.m. | Museum tours, children games, line dancing, vendor marketplace and community picnic
    6 to 7 p.m. | Main Stage Theatrical Performance "The Magic of Museums" by DVA Productions Inc.
    7 to 8 p.m. | Main Stage Performance featuring VIBE The Band 
    5 p.m. - Museum tours, children games, line dancing, vendor marketplace and community picnic
  • 6 p.m. - Theatrical performance of "The Magic of Museums" by DVA Productions Inc.
  • 7 p.m. - Performance featuring VIBE The Band
There will also be tours of the Shelton's Bear Creek Cemetery, which is where many enslaved people were buried. 

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Denton

A Gospel Night will kick off Denton's Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 16, at 6:15 p.m., according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. The events continue into Saturday, June 17, at Fred Moore Park:
  • 9 a.m. - Softball tournament
  • 10 a.m. - Parade from Civic Center to Fred Moore Park
  • 11 a.m. - Children's games
  • Noon - Denton Hometown Heroes Reception, "A Better Way Enterprises"
  • 2 p.m. - Home run derby
  • 6 p.m. - Three-on-three basketball tournament
  • 6 p.m. - Hip-hop explosion

A health and wellness fair was held at the Abilene Convention Center. A Juneteenth Family Festival in Corpus Christi included public readings.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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