Concerts, a block party and more scheduled to celebrate Juneteenth in Fort Worth
This week, the National Juneteenth Museum will host its inaugural Freedom Vibes festival to celebrate the freedom and progress that Juneteenth represents.
The four-day celebration is in honor of the Juneteenth holiday on June 19, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last African American slaves in Galveston, Texas, were freed by General Order, No. 3.
Juneteenth was an informal holiday for decades, celebrated with parades, barbecues, and other gatherings. Fort Worth has a history of celebrating Juneteenth as far back as 1882.
In 1979, Texas became the first to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. After Fort Worth’s own Opal Lee symbolically walked 1,400 miles to Washington, D.C., to get nationwide recognition of Juneteenth, President Joe Biden signed legislation designating it as a federal holiday in 2021.
There will be multiple events and activities for people to choose from between June 19 to 22 as part of the Freedom Vibes festival.
Construction of the National Juneteenth Museum is in the planning stages. In February, the city approved a plan for the museum to lease and develop the land where the Southside Community Center is located at 959 E. Rosedale St.
Uniting Voices speaker series, Orchestra Noir
Freedom Vibes will start on Thursday, June 19, with an appearance by civil rights leader and diplomat Andrew Young as part of the “Uniting Voices” Speaker Series. The event is at 3 p.m. at IM Terrell Academy, 1900 IM Terrell Way.
Young was a strategist and confidant for Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. He later became the first African American U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter’s administration and served two terms as mayor of Atlanta.
Tickets have sold out for floor and balcony seating, but VIP admission seats are still open, starting at $161 and can be purchased at freedomvibes2025.com
Later that day, a performance is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. by Orchestra Noir at Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St. The orchestra blends “traditional symphonic arrangements with the beats of hip-hop and the soulful rhythms of R&B.”
Tickets start at $48 and can be purchased at Basshall.com.
R&B music
Freedom Vibes continues at Bass Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 20, with a double header of two iconic R&B groups, The O’Jays and The Whispers. The O’Jays are 2005 Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductees with classics such as “Love Train” and “For the Love of Money.” The Whispers are known for their two No. 1 singles “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady. ”
Tickets start at $61 and can be purchased at Basshall.com
Block party
A block party will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at 1050 Evans Ave., with local food vendors, live performances, art showcases and more.
Gospel music
A gospel music experience called “A Celebration of Choirs” is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at The Potter’s House of Fort Worth, 1270 Woodhaven Blvd.
Performers will include the St. John Church Unleashed Church Choir, One Accord Men’s Chorus and the Beth Eden Church Choir.
Art exhibition
An art exhibition called “Declarations of Freedom” opened June 12 and runs through July 19 at Fort Works Art, 2100 Montgomery St.
According to Fort Works Arts, the exhibition reflects the “multifaceted nature of liberation, exploring themes including reclaiming history through revisited narratives, forging new communities, chronicling a transformative hundred-year journey, and telling powerful stories of liberation.”
For more information go to fortworksart.com.
For more information on all events go to freedomvibes2025.com.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
