Dallas hosts annual Juneteenth celebrations and events

Less than 500 miles from where slaves were freed in Texas on June 19, 1865, Dallas still hosts Juneteenth celebrations to honor the historic moment.

Juneteenth celebrates the arrival of Union troops in Galveston to free slaves in Texas, as many of them were still enslaved despite the Emancipation Proclamation issued two years earlier. Enslaved area residents referred to the date as “June 11,” and four years ago, Mayor Eric L. Johnson officially declared June 19 in Dallas as “June 11.”

Last year, the city of Dallas made an official effort to fly the Juneteenth flag in front of City Hall this year and beyond.

This year’s events to celebrate and honor this occasion include:

June 13-15: June Weekend Unity Festival at 1015 Elm St. — A weekend at the Crowne Plaza featuring games, pool parties and entertainment hosted by Dallas Southern Pride.

June 14:

• Game night prior to June 15 at 1551 Oak Lawn Ave. — game night to celebrate an upcoming event. This is a BYOB event.
• Evening Shabbat Remembrance Service June 16 at 8500 Hillcrest Road – Hosted by Temple Emanu-El.

June 15:

• June Festival of Service at Fair Park/June Festival of Service at Fair Park – Held at the Automobile Building to commemorate the event and give back to the community.
• Elm Thicket/Northpark June Freedom Day at 6801 Roper Street – 14^vol-annual celebrations in the historic freedmen’s city. There will be live music, speakers and food vendors.
• Dallas MLK Freedom Walk at 2922 MLK Jr. Blvd. — celebrate the 50th anniversary of the event^vol anniversary and complete a 4K around the MLK Community Center. This will be followed by vendor performances and live registration. Participants must register online in advance.

June 19: Opal’s Walk for Freedom at 3536 Grand Ave. —Walk 2.5 miles to honor the memory of Opal Lee, known as “Grandma Juneteenth.”