How To Celebrate Juneteenth In Houston — Music, Arts, a Festival, Solange Knowles Magic and More

The entire nation benefits from the vision and wisdom of the late Texas State Representative Al Edwards, who championed the Juneteenth holiday for decades. Thanks to Edwards, Juneteenth became a state holiday in 2007 and — after Edwards passed away — a federal holiday in 2021.

“Every year we must remind successive generations that this event triggered a series of events that one by one define the challenges and responsibilities of successive generations,” Edwards memorably said. “That’s why we need this holiday.”

Opal Lee, the 98-year-old Fort Worth native known as The Grandmother of Juneteenth, also worked hard to ensure this important Texas holiday would be observed nationwide. For decades, Texans have celebrated the holiday both in Houston and Galveston, where it originated.

This year marks the 160th Anniversary of the Juneteenth holiday, which began June 19, 1865. Here’s your guide to Juneteenth in Houston:

Juneteenth Music: Two & 1/2 Years

Artists Robert Hodge and Tierney Malone, both artistic polymaths who also embrace music, envisioned a contemporary musical narrative about Juneteenth years ago. The result: a sublime collaborative multigenre album titled Two & 1/2 Years: A Musical Celebration to the Spirit of Juneteenth. The title is a reference to the fact that slavery was not abolished in Texas until two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Originally inspired by Malone’s Juneteenth program on 90.1 KPFT and conceived by Hodge, the album “bridges generations by fusing jazz, R&B and hip hop to honor the legacy of freedom” according to its creator.

The current iteration features Houston musical artists Robert Glasper, Tobe Nwigwe, Outspoken Bean and Lil’ Keke, among others. In 2026, the project will celebrate its 10th anniversary, with more than 10 new songs and a special vinyl release on the horizon.

“The project, from its inception, was always meant to be a living document, meaning we would expand the music and interludes each year,” Malone says.

Hodge’s upcoming solo exhibition at Sanman Studios opens this Friday, June 13. You can listen to Two and 1/2 Years on Soundcloud, iTunes and Spotify.

Freedmen’s Town Juneteenth

Houston’s historic Freedmen’s Town neighborhood, established in 1865 by formerly enslaved Black men and women, is a testament to resilience, historical progress and community building. Located in Fourth Ward, Freedmen’s Town became known for its businesses, culture and community leaders, as well as the vintage bricks which have lined its streets.

“Freedmen’s Town is where the promise of Juneteenth took root,” notes Sharon Fletcher, executive director of the Freedmen’s Town Conservancy. “As the nation embraces Juneteenth, we’re reminded that freedom didn’t arrive all at once, but was built, brick by brick, by our ancestors.

“Preserving this space means honoring their faith, their labor, and their vision for us.”

The Juneteenth events at Freedmen’s Town include “Juneteenth Fest 160: Building What We Started,” set for next Thursday, June 19 from  1 pm to 8 pm. It includes a talk by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. “Our Road Home: Exploring Freedom is set for Friday, June 20 from  7 pm to 8:30 pm. Expect a performance from artist Jakari Sherman. Learn more here.

Juneteenth en Blanc

The Community Artists’ Collective will host an inaugural Juneteenth holiday event at its new location in the Ion Building on Thursday, June 19, from noon to 5 pm. The free event, dubbed Juneteenth en Blanc, is part of CAC’s new program, the Sankofa Emancipation Project.

This will be an immersive experience of remembrance and celebration inspired by the rich history of Juneteenth. Attendees are encouraged to wear all-white attire (like beloved Houston educator Pinkie Yates and Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust characters). Photo sessions, great food, art making and music is also on tap. Learn more here.

Eldorado Ballroom Series

Hometown artsy hero Solange Knowles, the second Black women to compose a score for the New York City Ballet, returns to Houston to curate her Eldorado Ballroom” series. Known for songs like “Cranes in the Sky” and “Losing You,” Knowles has also long been a champion of books, avant-garde art and culture, and musical soundscapes which push boundaries.

The series, which has appeared in various cities, takes on added special significance since it also serves as homage to Houston’s Project Row Houses and the Eldorado Ballroom, which reopened in 2023. Zydeco genius Rosie Ledet and The Clark Sisters headline some of the events. The “Eldorado Ballroom” series tickets are available for purchase here.

“Terms & Conditions: The Promise vs. Reality”

Curated by Seba Raquel Suber and sponsored by the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the exhibition “Terms & Conditions: The Promise vs. Reality” highlights historical themes connected to Juneteenth.

“The United States Colored Troops (USCT) fought and struggled for freedom,” Suber says. “Their service was a revolutionary act of self-definition, a radical claim to personhood, dignity and citizenship even as the systems around them refused to fully deliver on those promises. . . from the creation of the Emancipation Proclamation to the Reconstruction Amendments’ loopholes, the commercialized symbolism of Juneteenth, and the enduring consequences of delayed justice, this exhibition explores the fine print of freedom.”

Artists featured in the exhibition include Ann “Sole Sister” Johnson, Nathaniel Donnett, Alexis Pye, David McGee, Kaneem Smith, Cat Martinez, Tay Butler, Lanecia A. Rouse, Phillip Pyle II, Mo Nikole, Brian Ellison, Anthony Suber and Robert Pruitt.

“As a native Texan, Juneteenth is both a homecoming and a call to action,” Pyle says. “Through art, we remember, we rejoice, and we reframe freedom on our own terms.”

The exhibition opens Thursday, June 19 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the University Museum at Texas Southern University. Learn more here.

Juneteenth Culture Fest

An uplifting, positive musical event for the soul and spirit is set for Miller Outdoor Theatre. This free Juneteenth Culture Fest is happening this Friday, June 13 from 8 pm to 10 pm at Miller Outdoor Theater. Featured musical artists will include the Ernest Walker Band, LeToya Luckett, Madicin, Jenni P and Ruben Studdard. This year’s performers will be paying homage to Roberta Flack, Angie Stone, Luther Vandross, Johnnie Taylor, Frankie Beverly, Tony! Toni! Toné! and more. Learn more here.

“Unheard (UNherd)”

Zsavon Butler addresses women’s agency, history, systemic racism and the struggle for equality in her solo exhibition “UNheard (Unherd).” Currently exhibited at Janice Bond’s Art Is Bond gallery, Butler’s profound, metaphorically charged work brings the story of Adriana Smith to mind. Through sculpture and paintings, Butler presents narratives of women as survivors unbound from the scourge of history. Through art, they become indefatigable beacons of light.

This exhibition is on view through Saturday, June 28. By appointment only. Learn more here.

“Jubilee: A Celebration of Freedom”

Carla Bisong, owner of Bisong Art Gallery and co-founder of The DREAM Affect Foundation, is hosting a Juneteenth art event at Neiman Marcus in the Houston Galleria shopping center. Bisong describes “Jubilee: A Celebration of Freedom” as an “art exhibition that invites artists to explore and express the vast and multifaceted concept of freedom — in all its forms. This exhibition is a vibrant, visual symphony that seeks to illuminate the deeply personal, collective, and cultural meanings of what it means to be free.”

The exhibition opens this Saturday, June 14, but the Juneteenth event will be held Thursday June 19 from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Juneteenth Concert

This year’s Emancipation Park Juneteenth 2025 Celebration honors the legacy of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Lee worked as 18th District Representative from 1995-2024. Musical guests include Houston’s Yolanda Adams, the Community Choir, Mary Griffin and funk legend George Clinton, founder of Parliament-Funkadelic. The free concert will be held this Saturday, June 14 from 4 pm to 9 pm. Bring your own lawn chair for added comfort. Learn more here.

Additional reporting by Catherine D. Anspon.