FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Pamela Dawson | Free Your Mind Conversation Series
6/12
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Kicking off the week-long Juneteenth Festival is Grammy-Award-winning Desoto, Texas, high school music teacher Pamela Dawson. Using negro spirituals, Dawson will deliver an interactive lecture and singalong that will educate attendees on African-American contributions to the sonic art form.
Monday
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Michael W. Twitty | Free Your Mind Conversation Series
6/15
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Thursday
Culinary food historian James Beard, Book Award recipient and author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American History in the Old South, Michael T. Twitty, will present a lecture on African-American foodways and contemporary abolitionist movements.
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All Ages Community Dance Party and Kickback
6/16
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Friday
This multi-generational community kickback and dance party is hosted in partnership with Creative Action that will provide a sensory station stocked full of glowsticks, kites, bubbles, sparklers, and more. High-energy sets by DJ Cysum and DJ Dontizl will keep the vibes high before closing out with a special edition of BodyRockATX. This event is generously sponsored by Change Water.
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Historic Juneteenth Parade
6/17
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Saturday
Every year, Greater East Austin Youth Association hosts Austin's historic Juneteenth Parade. The historic parade route starts on E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and concludes at Rosewood Park. For more information about the parade visit: www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Rosewood
Neighborhood
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Austin Family Reunion Cookout and Music Festival
6/17
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Saturday
From 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., a community cookout and music festival will take place in the historic Rosewood Neighborhood behind the Carver Museum. Starting at 3 p.m., Lady Joy will host mid-day festivities while KAZI DJs set the vibe and attendees eat smoked BBQ prepared by veteran pitmasters. Festival attendees can also check out the vendor market, carnival games, educational workshops, film screenings and self-guided tours. At 5:30 Austin Samba will kick off the concert!
At 6 p.m., host Saul Paul will kick off the music festival with opening performances by Sonya Jevette, Stretch Musik, and DJ Kay Cali. At 8 p.m., the funky, rocking, dancing, soulful mega band GAPX brought to life by original global touring members of the legendary group "The Gap Band" will serenade Juneteenth festival goers for 90-minutes with chart-topping hits like Outstanding, and You Dropped a Bomb on Me.
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Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed | Free Your Mind Conversation Series
6/19
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Monday
Closing the Free Your Mind Juneteenth Lecture Series on Juneteenth proper, is historian, legal scholar, New York Times Bestseller, and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed. Dr. Gordon-Reed will speak about her book, On Juneteenth, and discuss the banning of books and the hectoring of libraries and their content in Texas and beyond.
The City of Austin Equity Office and Women in Neuroscience come together with the Carver Museum to bring you this powerful closing lecture and Q&A facilitated by Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies, Edmund T. Gordon, followed by a reception on Monday, June 19, from 1–3PM.
Juneteenth Revival and Closing Celebration
6/19
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Monday
In partnership with Austin Justice Coalition, a Community Revival and Remembrance will take place to honor victims of police violence in Texas. Indigenous earth-based practitioners, faith leaders, healers and bodyworkers will gather to help elevate the spirit of our fallen sisters, brothers and non-binary community members. Join us in song, prayer and meditation as we honor our Black ancestors and gather our strength to continue doing the work to liberate our communities. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear all white, or bright, neutral colors.