Stuff For Houston Couples - Weekend Event: Juneteenth Festival

Tops on the list of Houston couples, families and other groups looking for fun stuff to do this weekend is the "Number 3 summer festival in the nation" Houston’s Juneteenth.

The weekend event draws people from all over the nation who come to party, participate and partake of the parades, concerts and festivals held all over the area each year.




The city’s Juneteenth celebrations have their roots in antebellum Galveston, Texas, where the "Emancipation Proclamation" was read from the balcony of Ashton Villa, which had been the headquarters for the Confederate Army in Texas.



The following year African Americans in Houston began celebrating the occasion in the newly purchased Emancipation Park and soon other communities around the Gulf Coast began joining in.


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Take a look at some of the parades, festivals and free concerts scheduled for 2011 Juneteenth weekend in the Houston area:

Parades In Houston - Juneteenth

“National Emancipation Association’s 38th Annual Juneteenth Parade"

The longest running parade honoring the African American holiday featuring floats, trail riders and marching bands from local high schools starts in front of minute maid park.

Independence Heights Juneteenth Parade & Festival

This family-oriented event. The Parade's Theme: Someplace In Time will feature more than 100 Parade Entries will will have a duration of 1.5 hrs.


Missouri City, Tx
Annual Juneteenth Celebration 2011
(http://www.mcjcf.com)-website

“One Mile of Smiles” Parade 6:00pm
Texas Parkway Missouri City

Houston Festivals - Juneteenth

Missouri City Juneteenth Festival
7:00pm ~ 11:00pm Hunters Glen Park

Emancipation Park the site of Houston’s oldest Juneteenth festival has several events scheduled during the month of June.
Featuring Miss Juneteenth Pageant..Healthy Living Triathalon... Freedom Golf Tournament


SHAPE Community Center

Reclaiming the Village Juneteenth Celebration and Health Fair (Free)
Health Fair, Fun, Food Co-op, Games & Vendors at Our Park next to Shape Center

Houston Black Dance Festival 2011
This biennial dance festival celebrates the culture and contributions of the African Diaspora to the art to Dance.

Free Concerts

Emancipation Park
Community Center & Park Grounds
Juneteenth Gospel Sunday Jubilee

Miller Outdoor Theater

This year's musical performers will be:
Glen David Andrews Band, from New Orleans, Louisiana. Other artist scheduled are:
Blues legend Texas Johnny Brown and the Quality Blues Band


Couples and families free tickets for the covered seating area (4 per person over age 16 while they last) from the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the performance between the hours of 10:30am-1pm. The box office will re-open one hour before show time to distribute any remaining tickets for the nights event.

Other celebrations marking this weekends events:

“FREEDMEN’S TOWN” by playwright Dwight Baxter, about Houston’s Freedmen’s Town and the men an women who organized the first Juneteenth celebrations will be presented at Mt. Horeb Missionary Baptist Church Friday night.

Free Film Screening

"Filling the Gap" NAACP 2011 Image Award (Nominee Docudrama)
Tyrone Young's eye-opening chronicles of African American participation in America's Civil War.


Houston couples, families and members of the community at-large are being encouraged to participate with Houston’s African American community to strengthen the tradition of Juneteenth by celebrating this historical event.

It creates an excellent opportunity to educate children on cultural diversity, government and Black history. Houston is fortunate to have several statues, parks and museums that you can visit that will shed light on the numerous African American contributions and experiences in America.

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Top 10 Things To Do In Houston TX - March 2011

If you have some downtime, our things to do in Houston list for this weekend. March 11-13th, is worth checking out. There are so many exciting, fun things happening that we couldn’t pack them all into a Saturday and Sunday schedule. So, we are beginning our weekend on Friday.

How does that old saying go? “The early bird gets the most worms.” Wouldn't you love to worm your way into a long weekend. Here’s our list of H-towns liveliest events. It's enough to keep you busy from Friday to Sunday.

Griff's 46th Annual St. Patrick's Day Festival,
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Montrose Tour
Bats On The Bayou
Bayou Regatta
Learn To Camp
Discovery Green
Birds Walk
Big Squeeze 2011 Houston Audition
Divas Jazz Salon

TGIF in H-town

Big Squeeze 2011 Houston Auditions Auditions for the Big Squeeze, a state-wide accordion competition. It’s free but you may want to reserve a spot. Get more information: 512-441-9255.

Bats On The Bayou Waugh Bridge bat colony tours gives visitors a look from a safe distance at a huge roosting of Mexican free-tail bats. It’s an awesome sight to see them departing in search of their evening meal of pesky insects.

Divas Jazz Salon To start your Houston weekend on the right foot you can get down with the delightful sounds of Divas Jazz Salon happening at Hobby Center - Zilkha Hall.

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St Patrick’s Day Parade Everything is tainted green this weekend as the city gets in gear for the annual St Patty’s parade. Expect to see fabulously decorated floats, charming leprechauns and shamrock green beverages flowing through the streets of Downtown Houston.

Griff's 46th Annual St. Patrick's Day Festival The annual St Paddy’s festival in Houston includes a variety of contest, including local beauties competing in a pageant for the title of queen. Other competitions scheduled during this weekend long Houston festival are: The Annual Greater Houston Irish Open Golf Tournament and a Irish Stew, Chili and Chicken Cook-Off

To unwind from a long list of things to do, visit Houston's Downtown District’s favorite greenspace. Vendors will be on hand at Discovery Green with wonderful homemade, handmade and made in Houston goods at the farmers market this weekend.

For those you have the energy you can get busy at the hoop dance session or to charge your body for the week ahead kick back on the grass and chill-lax and try counting pigeons as if they were sheep.

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Holiday In Houston: Parades And Festivals

You can always find plenty of stuff happening during a holiday in Houston by checking out this blog or visiting Midtownlive’s Guide To Houston Holiday Celebrations. It list all of the currently recognized events that are officially celebrated in Houston.

We have tried to chock it full of information from parade routes to holiday garbage pick up and mail delivery schedules in Houston Tx. We want you to be able use it to find out anything that you could ever want to know about all of the holiday events in H-town.

MLK Parade In Houston

Click plus sign for more about MLk Day details!

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January is a time when several parades and festivals in Houston, Texas and other places in the country are held celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The heroic African American leader who modeled, demonstrated and taught the world that non-violent protest could be a powerful tool of change.
It was under his leadership that civil right's organizations were able to work together to get the federal government to eliminate policies in the United States forcing African Americans to live under a separate, but equal doctrine.

They organized peaceful marches and rally's exposing how the use of the Jim Crow statutes was and inherently evil practice preventing Blacks from enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dr King's powerful oratorical skills and inspiring speeches expounded that the real key to the United States' strength lies in its cultural, ethnic and spiritual diversity and unity.

Houston Festivals and parades on MLK Day in Houston take time to applaud and celebrate, peace, brotherly love and all that is good in the human experience. It serves as a reminder that respecting and appreciating the individual differences of each person is what makes America a country that is uniquely gifted, prosperous and strong. Its continued survival is strengthened by the multicultural diversity of its society and how well it truly reflects every common thread of humanity.

Here is a list of some of the other holidays and times during the year when you can see a parade in Houston.

Veteran’s Day Parade
Thanksgiving Parade
St Patrick Day Parade
Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade
Cinco De Mayo
Art Car Parade

We encourage you to use our Holiday In Houston guide as your connection to discover some of the amazing events celebrated in and around Houston like Memorial Day and other useful and important things you may need to know.

We are still working hard to build it into an ultimate community resource for this area. If you don’t find what you are searching for using the guide, please leave us a note in the comment section below and we’ll make sure it gets included in future editions.

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Things To Do In Houston For FREE

Follow this link to see the top free events in Houston. The world's oldest and largest Art Car Parade is the highlight of three-days of wild and crazy celebrations.

This years 2010 parade is expected to attract over 250 artist and their vehicles from across the U.S. along with Canada and Mexico.

Houston Parade Facts

* The parade attracts entries from 23 states
* An audience of some 250,000 are expected to see this live event
* Parade entries include anything on wheels from
o unicycles to
o lawnmowers to
o cars and go-carts
* Entries are from members of the general public , recognized artists, community groups, and public and private schools.

Related Art Car Events

Some of the other events that make up the supporting cast for this art-centric weekend include a populist fundraiser to benefit the art car events, aptly named the Art Car Ball.

That first ball 1,200 enthusiastic supporters showed up at night on the roof of a downtown parking garage to gawk at 100 art cars, and dance to the nuclear polka of Brave Combo.

Today, the Art Car Ball in Houston and Patron Party are recognized as "Houston's Best Party" by "Houston Press" readers.

Vipit Party

The VIPit Party is the most lavish setting for viewing the Houston parade. The VIPit Party is held on some of the best viewing spots on the parade route. The swank party features delicious fare, ice cold beverages, bleacher seating, activities for children, gift bags, and live parade commentary providing the inside scoop on all of the fabulous entries.

To be a part of this hip affair you can go online and get your seating in advance.

More Free Houston Events This Weekend

Check out these other cool things to do in Houston for FREE...

Stop, Look and Listen are free family concerts presented by The Menil Collection and Da Camera of Houston. This concert series on The Menil Collection campus has quickly become a popular family event. Combine a visit to the museum with an interactive and informative concert.

FATHER/CHILD MOTHER’S DAY CRAFT.

Sat, May 8, 10 a.m. Kids, bring an adult, (father or grandfather will do) and build your mom a homemade wooden gift for Mother’s Day.
Limit one per family.

SECOND SATURDAY: WOODWORK SHOP.

Saturday, May 8, 1-3 p.m. Daily activities done by the early Texas settlers are demonstrated. See how tools like the draw knife, foot adze, and shaving horse are used to shape and form wooden items.

Sunday Mother's Day

Houston Ballet's program will feature three diverse works at Miller Outdoor Theater. Each choreographed by one of today's most sought-after choreographers; Stanton Welch's, Nacho Duato and Twyla Tharp.

Discovery Greens' Sundays in the Park

9 – The Trade Jazz Band

Free Exercise Program
Tuesday, May 11
PiYo ( Pilates + Yoga )with TUTS in downtown Houston at Discovery Green

Each week we endeavor to discover the top free events in Houston. We carefully select the ones that are unique, family-friendly and most of all fun.

If you have an event or photos you would like to tell us about? You can email us through the link on the right.

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