The Central Texas Juneteenth Celebration kicks off this weekend with community events in advance of Tuesday, which is filled with festivities – and street closures.
First up, this weekend, on Saturday, June 16, from 7am to 9am is the Juneteenth Green and Clean Neighborhood Project, with volunteers working to clean up trash along East 12th and Chicon Streets. Following the cleanup, “The Youth Got Talent” Juneteenth talent show will kick off at noon and run until 8pm at the Doris Miller Auditorium (2300 Rosewood).
Also Saturday, from noon until 4pm, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will host a Juneteenth celebration – with music, games, food and history – at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center (1165 Angelina Street). The party will include characters in period dress sharing Emancipation Proclamation-era stories, performances by the Carver African Drum Class and Frenesi. The Theater Action Project will offer a self-portrait art instruction class and Cap Metro will be providing a bus for the public to decorate.
And if that’s not enough, there’s also the annual Alvin Patterson Juneteenth Battle of the Bands and Drumline Competition slated to begin at 6pm on Saturday at Nelson Field, next to Reagan High School.
Tuesday’s festivities begin with early morning street closures in Central East Austin starting at 5am and remaining closed until noon for a host of fun beginning with the annual 2K Freedom Run/Walk and followed by the Juneteenth Historical Parade at 10am. Find the map of closures here. From noon until 9pm the celebration moves to Rosewood Park (1182 Pleasant Valley Rd.) for kids rides and games, music, food and fun.
More info on Juneteenth events is here.
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This article appears in June 15 • 2012.