On June 19, 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and made a declaration of freedom ending the bondage of approximately 250,000 enslaved men, women, and children in Texas. Since that time, Juneteenth has been celebrated and remembered by picnics, parades, family reunions, pageants, barbecues, and games. The Brazos Valley has a rich history in celebrating Juneteenth, including the Juneteenth parade in Brenham, which began in the early 1870s and continues to this day.
Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site and H-E-B observe this important occasion with its Juneteenth Heritage Celebration from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturday, June 23, at 23400 Park Rd.12, Washington, Texas. Celebrating the rich African American heritage and culture of the Brazos Valley past and present, the event will occur on the park’s shaded grounds and in the conference centers.
The family friendly Juneteenth Heritage Celebration includes a full day of food, art displays, musical performances (including singer/songwriter Brandi Pace, The Fantasy Band playing jazz and blues, and two Gospel choirs), food trucks, a Kids Zone with 1836 games, and craft-making with Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley.
Exhibits include Chappell Hill History Society (displaying works of late African American artist Rev. Johnnie Swearingen); Prairie View Trail Riders Association—the oldest black trail-ride association in Texas; The Texas Ten (World War I); hairstyles from World War I; Underground Railroad; and Brenham Normal Schools.
Prominent guests will include:
- Myrtis Dightman, Sr. — co-founder of the Prairie View Trail Riders Association — will speak on his experiences as one of the first black rodeo cowboys to ride in a white rodeo circuit and the first black professional cowboy to compete in the National Finals Rodeo. Last year, he was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
- Buffalo Soldiers from Buffalo Soldier National Museum in Houston.
- Dr. Lila Rakoczy — programs coordinator, Military Sites and Oral History Programs, Texas Historical Commission — will speak on Texan African Americans in World War I, with a focus on African Americans from the Brazos Valley.
- Lloyd Mays, native Brenham artist, poet, and author of I Came From Hog Branch.
Sponsors include H-E-B, Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Rotary Club of Washington County.
For more information, contact Jon Failor at (936) 878-2214 ext. 224 or jon.failor@tpwd.texas.gov.
