Dallas Hosts Annual Juneteenth Celebrations, Events
Just under 300 miles from the site where Texas slaves were freed on June 19, 1865, Dallas continues to expand its Juneteenth celebrations in honor of the historic moment.
Juneteenth celebrates the arrival Union troops in Galveston to free Texas slaves, as many were still enslaved despite the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued two years before. Enslaved people in the area referred to the date as Juneteenth, and four years ago Mayor Eric L. Johnson officially proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth in Dallas.
Last year, the city of Dallas made an official effort to wave a Juneteenth flag from City Hall that year and years forward.
This year’s events to celebrate and honor the occasion are as follows:
June 13-15: Juneteenth Unity Weekend Festival at 1015 Elm St. — weekend at the Crowne Plaza with games, pool parties, and pageants hosted by Dallas Southern Pride.
June 14:
- Pre-Juneteenth Game Night at 1551 Oak Lawn Ave. — game night to celebrate the upcoming event. This is a BYOB event.
- Shabbat Evening Service to Commemorate Juneteenth at 8500 Hillcrest Road — hosted by Temple Emanu-El.
June 15:
- Fair Park Juneteenth Festival/Juneteenth Festival of Service at Fair Park — held at the Automobile Building to commemorate the event and give back to the community.
- Elm Thicket/Northpark Juneteenth Freedom Day at 6801 Roper Street — 14th-annual celebration in the historic freedmen’s town. It will host live music, speakers, and food vendors.
- Dallas MLK Freedom Walk at 2922 MLK Jr. Blvd. — celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary and complete a 4K around the MLK Community Center. Afterwards there will be vendors and live performances. Attendees must register online beforehand.
June 19: Opal’s Walk for Freedom at 3536 Grand Ave. — Walk 2.5 miles to celebrate Opal Lee who was known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
