Georgetown organizations to hold Juneteenth events June 14-15

The Georgetown Cultural Citizen Memorial Association and GTX Connect invite community members to celebrate Juneteenth with a number of events June 14-15.

The rundown

The festivities will kick off with Soul at City Center, which will feature live music from the Austin band Mega'Tune, on June 14 from 6-8 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to gather on the outdoor plaza behind 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St. with their blankets, lawn chairs and snacks.

On June 15, community members can gather near the San Gabriel Park basketball courts for a parade to the Georgetown Community Center, where there will be a keynote speaker, a DJ, live performances, children’s activities, games, a silent auction, and food and vendor booths.

The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the program at 11 a.m. and the festival from noon-4 p.m.

Lastly, an exhibit of photos from previous Georgetown Juneteenth events will be on display in the Georgetown Public Library's lobby throughout the month.

The events are free and open to the public.

The history

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers landed in Galveston with word that the Civil War was over and salvery had been abolished. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, it took more than two years for the news to reach Texas.

Juneteenth was declared a state holiday in 1980.

For more information about Georgetown's events, visit www.gccmatx.com.