TEXAS CITY, TX – Starting with an evening of music and ending with a community golf tournament,
the City of Texas City has a full line-up of events planned to celebrate Juneteenth and to honor
African American heritage and culture.
The festivities begin this Friday, June 6 at 7 p.m. with Gospel Fest, where the community is invited
to enjoy an evening of music at First Missionary Baptist Church, with performances by several local
choirs, followed by light bites and refreshments served afterwards. Gospel Fest is a free event, and
everyone in the community is invited to attend.
Anyone interested in creating both a masterpiece and memories won’t want to miss Paint & Sip the
following day. During the event, guests will get instruction on how to paint a custom piece of
Juneteenth art, as they enjoy refreshments, drinks and music from a DJ. The event is Saturday, June
7 at 7 p.m. at the Showboat Pavilion. Tickets are on sale now for $30, which includes all materials,
as well as two drink tickets.
Also on June 7, there is a new event in the City’s lineup of Juneteenth festivities. The Texas City
Museum will host the Art of Freedom exhibit, comprised of pieces by local artists celebrating
Juneteenth. The museum will host a free admission day on Saturday, which includes admission to
the exhibit, plus admission to the 30,000 square feet of exhibits and displays of local history. In
addition, guests will enjoy free admission to the model train exhibit and can take a free shuttle to
the Bell House – the only Reconstruction-era African American community in Galveston County –
where they can enjoy a free tour of the home.
The Juneteenth festivities continue the following weekend with the Poetry Slam on Friday, June 13,
and the Juneteenth Parade and Charles Brown Celebration on Saturday, June 14.
A Kentucky Derby-themed evening of fashion, poetry, food and fun awaits guests at this year’s
Poetry Slam, which will be held at 7 p.m. at the Doyle Convention Center and will feature local
writers and poets who will face off for a variety of cash prizes. Tables and individual tickets are
available for purchase.
The next day, Saturday, June 14, the City will host the annual Juneteenth Parade and Charles Brown
Juneteenth Celebration at Bay Street Park. The parade starts at 5 p.m. at Texas City High School
stadium and ends at Bay Street Park. The celebration begins immediately after the parade, with a
zydeco concert, games for kids, moonwalks, a BBQ cook-off, food trucks, vendors and more.
Admission is free.
The event is named for Texas City native and Grammy-nominated blues musician Charles Brown —
best known for hits like “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Driftin’ Blues” and for being inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Juneteenth celebrations conclude with the annual Juneteenth Golf Tournament on Tuesday,
June 17 at 1 p.m. at Bayou Golf Course. Teams of four will compete for prizes, with special added
challenges, like a closest to the pin competition, the longest drive, and hole in one.
For more information about the City of Texas City’s Juneteenth festivities, visit
www.texascitytx.gov.
