Discover the celebrations, concerts, and special events for the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth taking place in Greater Houston and on Galveston Island—the birthplace of the holiday—in June 2025.
This year marks the 160th anniversary of the date that news of the Emancipation Proclamation first reached Texas and was read aloud in Galveston on June 19, 1865—two years after it had become U.S. law.
In celebration of that day, the Greater Houston and Galveston areas host a number of festivals, events, and commemorations that we’ve gathered in this guide to plan your 2025 Juneteenth happenings.
Given that Galveston is the birthplace of Juneteenth, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first heard in Texas, freeing all of the state’s slaves, the island is packed with tributes, parties, festivals, and celebrations. Given the island’s growing status as a Juneteenth destination, we’ve bundled them all together, at the bottom of this list—or at the click of the button below.
Juneteenth 2025 Events in Greater Houston
Juneteenth Houston’s 3rd Annual Celebrate Freedom Fest at Emancipation Park | Sunday, June 1 | FREE – This festival brings together 7 historic Black communities in Houston—Independence Heights, Fourth Ward, Third Ward, Fifth Ward, Sunnyside, Acres Homes, and South Park—to celebrate the richness of Black culture, pay homage to Juneteenth pioneers, and more. There will be live music, performances by Ensemble Theatre and Houston Grand Opera, a vendor market, a kids zone, food trucks, drinks, fellowship, and more. 1pm to 7pm.
The 3rd Annual Freedom Walk/Run & Health Fair at Emancipation Park | Saturday, June 7 | FREE – With 500+ participants last year, the annual event invites everyone to run, walk or simply enjoy the health fair activities and community spirit in Third Ward. 7am to Noon.
The Buy Black Marketplace at Shrine Cultural & Event Center | Saturday, June 7 | FREE – Support Black-owned businesses at a market that celebrates community and culture and enjoy music, food, and plenty of shopping.
From Plantation to Emancipation: The Freedom Experience at The Heritage Society | Saturday, June 7 through Saturday, June 28 – Tour the 3 historic houses, designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory, that tell Houston’s stories from plantation to emancipation. Actress Kijanna Wiseman relates the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom through song and theatrics in a 90-minute tour and show experience. $25; $13 for ages 13 to 18. 10am weekly.
Teacakes & Tours for Juneteenth at The Heritage Society | Saturdays in June – Join in the Juneteenth tradition of teacakes and red punch at The Heritage Society’s popular Black history tour, exploring the 3 houses designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project”. $17; $14 for ages 65+; $6 for ages 13 to 18. Times vary.
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Movie Screening at MFAH | Sunday, June 8 – The MFAH presents a screening of Johan Grimonprez’s Oscar-nominated essay film examining how jazz and geopolitics collided in a nefarious chapter of Cold War history. $9; $7 for members, students and seniors. 5:30pm.
Fade To Black Arts Festival at MATCH | Sunday, June 8 to Saturday, June 14 – The week-long historic fest celebrates African-American artistic excellence, cultural legacy, and community unity with daily performances, workshops, and exhibits spotlighting Black excellence. Some events are free to attend. Single tickets start at $20. Time vary.
Juneteenth Culture Fest at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Friday, June 13 | FREE – The soul-stirring celebration of freedom, culture, and music blending gospel, blues, R&B, neo-soul and funk. Expect musical tributes to Roberta Flack, Angie Stone, Luther Vandross, Johnnie Taylor, Frankie Beverly, Tony! Toni! Toné! and more. 8:30pm. 8:30pm.
Juneteenth Festival 2025 at J. Harris Barber Academy | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – The family-friendly festival will feature a diverse lineup of live performances, a guest speaker, food trucks, and interactive activities designed for all ages. 11am to 5pm.
Juneteenth Celebration in Downtown Beaumont | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – For 2025, R&B funk group, Midnight Star headlines Beaumont’s annual family festival feat R&B funk group, Midnight Star, which also features, food trucks, picnic areas, and more. 4pm to 9pm.
Juneteenth Celebration at Bicentennial Park in Baytown | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – Catch legendary Houston rapper, Scarface, Cupid, and a slate of other musicians and live DJs perform live, followed by a fireworks spectacular. 5pm to midnight.
Juneteenth Celebration at Avenida Houston & Discovery Green | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – The Downtown Park and promenade host their Juneteenth celebration with a live performance from Houston’s Grammy-winning children’s music artist James Pendleton IV as Uncle Jumbo, plus a screening Questlove’s documentary Summer of Soul, about The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. 7pm to 10pm.
Juneteenth Crawfish Boil at Frost Bank Third Ward | Wednesday, June 18 | FREE – The Frost Bank outpost Scott Street, perched along the University of Houston campus, serves up crawfish, shaved ice and live tunes in celebration of Juneteenth. 2pm to 4pm.
Juneteenth Celebration at Children’s Museum Houston | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 – Kiddos can celebrate Juneteenth with a performance by Joy of Djembe Drumming Ensemble and DJ Ferbidden, check out Juneteenth Champions—a powerful one-day-only art exhibit, and join in workshops. 9am to 6pm.
Celebrating Black History! at Miller Outdoor Theatre | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – Express Children’s theater stages a 1-hour kid-friendly celebration of Black History from ancient Africa to today’s Houston with live music, dance, and more. 11am.
Juneteenth Family Day at Houston Museum of African American Culture | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – HMAAC’s Family Day features a market with local Black-owned businesses, live read-alouds, and 2 performances of Embers of Freedom, a tribute to resilience and liberation. 11am to 6pm.
Juneteenth Fest—160: Building What We Started at Freedmen’s Town Visitor Center | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – The Fourth Ward visitor center celebrates Juneteenth’s 160th anniversary with live music, performances, activities, and programs. The event will also showcase a fireside chat with Marc Lamont Hill, author, activist, and television personality and highlight the legacy and former Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner’s commitment to Freedmen’s Town. 1pm to 8pm.
Writers Remix Series: Juneteenth at MFAH | Friday, June 20 – This week’s edition of the series focuses on the installation Hidden Histories. Local writers recognize Juneteenth by performing original works, all within the Museum galleries, in the 1-hour program. $20 to $24; free for ages 12 and under. 6:30pm.
Juneteenth Friends & Family Block Party at Saint Arnold Brewing Company | Friday, June 20 | FREE –All ages are invited to Houston’s original craft brewery for a Juneteenth celebration with local live music, art, games, giveaways, 30+ vendors, and more. 7pm to 10pm.
Juneteenth Living History Fest at Buffalo Soldiers National Museum | Friday, June 20 & Saturday, June 21 | FREE – The Midtown museum’s back lawn transforms into a living history encampment of the US Colored Troops in a 2-day festival featuring arts and crafts, demonstrations, family activities, and a curated Liberation Market with Black- and veteran-owned businesses and community organizations. 10am to 4pm both days.
Juneteenth Celebration at Five Points Park in La Porte | Saturday, June 21 | FREE – Parade down Main Street in La Porte for a Juneteenth celebration that culminates in an evening festival with live music, a kid’s zone, vendors, food trucks and more. 3pm to 9pm.
Juneteenth 2025 Events on Galveston Island
The Path to Jazz with Dandy Wellington at 1920 City National Bank Building | Saturday, June 7 – Part of both Galveston Island Beach Revue and the island’s stellar Juneteenth lineup, bandleader Dandy Wellington leads a discussion on slavery’s impact on spiritual music, how many songs found their way into the jazz canon, and the origins of spiritual music in a secular setting. $11.70. 11:30am.
Juneteenth Mini-Talk: Prairie View Interscholastic League at 1859 Ashton Villa | Saturday, June 7 – The 30-minute talk, held in Galveston’s Juneteenth Exhibit And Still We Rise…, touches on various pieces of history, connecting to Juneteenth and Galveston Island. $10; $5 for ages 6 to 18; free for ages 5 and under. 1pm.
Emancipation Gospel Celebration Concert at the Grand 1894 Opera House | Sunday, June 8– Kick off Galveston’s Juneteenth celebration with a showcase of the legendary “Queen of Gospel”, Pastor Shirley Caesar, joined by The Walls Group and the Houston Mass Choir. $35+. 4pm.
The BLVD Juneteenth Golf Tournament at Moody Gardens Golf Course | Friday, June 13 – Take part in the first ever Golf Tournament event on Juneteenth at Galveston’s Moody Gardens Golf Course. $109.33. 8:30am to 3:30pm.
The 4th Annual Freedom to Thrive Forum at Old Central Cultural Center | Friday, June 13 | FREE – Held at the first African/American high school in Texas, the annual event brings together entrepreneurs, small business leaders, and change-makers committed to building economic opportunity in the spirit of liberation and legacy. 10am to 2pm.
Galveston Island Juneteenth Festival & Celebration at Menard Park | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – The annual outdoor fest returns to Menard Park along Seawall Boulevard. Expect vendors, live entertainment and family fun to mark the occasion. Noon to 8pm.
Juneteenth Mini-Talk: Lost Restaurants of Galveston’s African American Community at 1859 Ashton Villa – In celebration of Juneteenth, learn about the history of Black-owned restaurants on the island and how African-American traditions shaped its cuisine across the ages in a half-hour talk. $10. 1pm.
The BLVD Juneteenth Sidewalk Poetry Session at The Proletariat Gallery & Public House | Saturday, June 14 | FREE – Featuring poets from the Galveston and Greater Houston, the evening features a 2-hour uplifting poetry show and recognizes community leaders. 8:30pm to 10pm.
Galveston Symphony Orchestra Summer Pops: 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration at The Grand 1894 Opera House | Sunday, June 15 – Be immersed in the rich legacy of African American artists, showcasing powerful music that honors the historic significance of Galveston as the birthplace of the important national holiday. $20 and up. 4pm to 6pm.
The Underground Railroad & Living History With the Buffalo Soldiers at 1838 Menard House | Tuesday, June 17 | FREE – Discover the stories of Juneteenth and the Underground Railroad as interpreters portray the voices of freedom seekers and trailblazers who shaped our nation’s journey toward emancipation. 10am to 2pm.
Juneteenth Proclamation Reading at 1859 Ashton Villa | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – Take in a live reading of General Order No. 3, which declared freedom for enslaved people, at the island’s official Juneteenth historic monument at the 1859 Ashton Villa. 10am.
Celebrating Black History! at Miller Outdoor Theatre | FREE – Join Express Children’s Theatre for a Celebration of Black History from Ancient Africa to Modern Day Houston. 11am.
Juneteenth Emancipation March & Emancipation Service at Reedy Chapel | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – The historic Reedy Chapel AME church hosts day of family-friendly festivities, a re-enactment march and and Emancipation service. Noon to 8pm; march at 6pm; service at 6:15pm.
Juneteenth Parade & Picnic in Galveston | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – The lively parade marks the day, kicking off at 26th and Avenue H, with the picnic immediately following at the Wright Cuney Park endpoint. 3pm to 4:30pm.
The Official Juneteenth Return at Nia Cultural Center | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – The celebration of culture, creativity, and community will include live dance and music performances, an art exhibition, food, drinks, and more. Free; $30 VIP. 4pm to 10pm.
Juneteenth 160: Freedom, Fireworks & Family at Menard Park | Juneteenth, Thursday, June 19 | FREE – Commemorate the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth with an evening of remembrance, culture, and celebration. Highlights include honoring veterans, a presentation of past Miss Juneteenths, live music, a big fireworks show, and more. 5pm to 9pm.
A Juneteenth Conversation: With the Family of George Floyd at Rosenberg Library | Saturday, June 21 – In partnership with the University of Houston, the Rosenberg Library hosts a panel discussion with members of the Floyd family and historians David McNally and Sam Collins about the historical significance of Juneteenth and the pursuit of civil rights today. 11:30am to 1pm.
Juneteenth Mini-Talk: Notable African Americans of Galveston at 1859 Ashton Villa | Saturday, June 21 – Learn about notable African Americans who originated on the island, or made their names there. $10. 1pm.
Foundation Conversations: The Underground Railroad South to Mexico at 1859 Ashton Villa | Sunday, June 22 – Historian and Western Regions Coordinator of the National Underground Network to Freedom, Daniel P. Ott, shares documented histories of freedom seeking which make Texas and the western United States unique in the national Underground Railroad story. $10. 11:30am.
Juneteenth Mini-Talk: Reedy Chapel’s Juneteenth Association at 1859 Ashton Villa | Saturday, June 28 – Learn about Reedy Chapel AME’s deep ties to history and Juneteenth in particular in a brief, 30-minute talk. $10. 1pm.
Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!
Subscribe to our free Weekend Guide newsletter and receive a round-up of great things to do every weekend in Houston, hitting your inbox on Thursday.
Don’t want to miss anything? Opt in for our Daily Updates to discover new things happening in Houston and receive special updates and offers, every weekday.