"It would not have happened in Texas without Galveston, and it would not have become a federal holiday without Ms. Opal Lee. We've gathered the day's most thoughtful gatherings — quietly, by neighborhood — so families have a single, dependable schedule for the long weekend ahead."
At ninety-nine years old, Ms. Opal Lee will once again lead her annual Walk for Freedom through her Fort Worth neighborhood. The route covers 2.5 miles — a distance she chose to mark the two-and-a-half years that passed between the Emancipation Proclamation and the day federal troops finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, with word that enslaved Texans were free.
She began walking in 2016, at the age of eighty-nine, from Fort Worth toward Washington, D.C. — a one-woman campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday. In 2021, with her at the President's side, it became one.
"None of us are free until all of us are free." — Ms. Opal Lee
All times Central. Free unless noted. We've listed only public events open to the community — private gatherings and ticketed dinners are not included here.
Meyerson Symphony Center
2301 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201
The Dallas Symphony's annual program of spirituals, freedom-song settings, and works by Black American composers — an opening note for the weekend in the city's most architecturally serious room.
Heritage Park
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Hosted by The Sankofa Society — a quiet, family-friendly walk along the bluffs above the Trinity. Lanterns provided; readings begin at sundown.
Evans Avenue Plaza
1100 E Rosedale Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104
Led by Ms. Opal Lee. The most important event of the weekend — a 2.5-mile loop through the streets where she has lived for more than fifty years. Register early; walk slowly; bring water.
Dallas City Hall Plaza
1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, TX 75201
The Mayor's office opens the day with a reading of General Order No. 3 — the order that finally brought word of emancipation to Texas on June 19, 1865 — followed by the raising of the Juneteenth flag.
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd → Fair Park
Dallas, TX 75215
The neighborhood parade, hosted by Friends of Oak Cliff. Three-quarters of a mile of step teams, drumlines, vintage cars, and church choirs that end in the Fair Park esplanade.
Hall of State & Esplanade
3809 Grand Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210
The day's anchor — six hours of live music, the African American Museum's open galleries, and a marketplace of more than seventy Black-owned makers and food vendors.
Moody Performance Hall
2520 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201
A program of dance, spoken word, and short living-history performances by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre and partner artists. Forty-five minutes, in the round, deeply moving.
Levitt Pavilion Arlington
100 W Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76010
The Metroplex's free outdoor headliner. Lawn seating, food trucks, and a closing program that traces seventy years of Southern soul, gospel, and R&B.
Haggard Park
901 E 15th Street, Plano, TX 75074
A flat, shaded, neighborhood 5K with a half-mile family fun-run alongside. Strollers welcome; medals for every finisher under twelve.
Pleasant Run Road
Downtown DeSoto, TX 75115
Three blocks closed to traffic — domino tables, double-dutch, a low-and-slow car show, and the city's best barbecue cooked street-side. Hosted by the DeSoto Cultural Commission.
Klyde Warren Park
2012 Woodall Rodgers, Dallas, TX 75201
Curated by the North Texas Black Chamber of Commerce — eighty makers, a children's reading corner, and the food-truck row that has quietly become one of the most reliable in the city.
Cotton Bowl Esplanade
Fair Park, Dallas, TX 75210
The weekend's quiet, civic closing — a brief reading, the lighting of seven freedom lanterns along the esplanade, and a fifteen-minute fireworks program over the Cotton Bowl.
Maps reflect 2026 street closures filed with city public-works departments. ADA spaces, shuttle stops, and water stations are marked on each route.
Rosedale and Evans close at 7:00 AM. Free shuttle from Riverside Garage runs 7:15–8:15 AM. Water stations at miles 1.0 and 1.8.
DART Green Line runs to Fair Park Station every 15 min. Take it. Lots fill by 11:00 AM Friday and again at 5:00 PM Saturday for fireworks.
Gates open 6:30 PM. Lawn seating only — bring a blanket or low chair. Free shuttle trolley loops every 10 min from UTA overflow.
Neighborhood celebrations and partner-hosted events open to the public — sorted by suburb, in alphabetical order.
The Texas Freedom Quilt Project unveils ten new panels at the African American Heritage Museum of Denton.
Live music, food trucks, and the Frisco Heritage Museum's annual reading of General Order No. 3.
Drumline procession through downtown Garland followed by a marketplace at Heritage Crossing.
Twenty area pitmasters and home cooks compete for the Brisket & Greens cup. Tasting tickets available on-site.
An evening of jazz on the canals — the Roy Hargrove Tribute Quartet headlines the open-air stage.
BBQ competition, gospel choir, and the youth oratory contest hosted at Hanby Park.
June 19 averages 92°F by noon in Dallas. Bring water, a hat, and sunscreen — especially for Opal's Walk, which steps off at 8:30 AM to stay ahead of the heat.
DART runs a Sunday schedule on Juneteenth. The Green Line serves Fair Park; TRE serves Fort Worth's T&P Station, a short ride from Evans Avenue Plaza.
Rideshare zones are designated at each major venue.
ADA parking is marked on each map and reservable up to 48 hours in advance for the Walk. ASL interpreters are confirmed for the Dallas flag raising and the Symphony concert.
Water station, route marshal, and parking attendant shifts open one month out. Two-hour minimum; volunteers eat free and receive the commemorative T-shirt.
"None of us are free until all of us are free."
From all of us at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate — a community-built guide, gladly shared. If your neighborhood is hosting a gathering we should know about, please write to the editors.
