As Marshall prepares for its inaugural Juneteenth celebration Saturday other East Texas cities also are gearing up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the day that honors the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Festivities start today in Longview and continue throughout the weekend.
Juneteenth or June 19 is a celebration marking the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas learned that the Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished. The news delivered in Galveston by Union soldiers came 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1862 and becoming the law of the land Jan. 1 1863.
We just want to make sure that people remember the importance of the event and it's about teaching our children so they won't forget said Alma Ravenell who is co chairing Marshall's event with her husband Don.
While some smaller activities have been held in Marshall in years past to commemorate the day this is the first year for a citywide celebration.
This year's celebration presented by the Marshall Texas Juneteenth Committee has been something that's been on Ravenell's heart for years.
We have not been properly celebrating Juneteenth in Marshall she said. I think there are a few organizations that do it but it wasn't done on a large scale. I think a few of the places were in out of the way places where people would not go and I feel a celebration of this magnitude should be featured in a prominent spot. ... It was my vision that it would be located in downtown Marshall.
Activities set for Saturday include a parade at 9 a.m. and a commemorative program vendors and a concert. The parade will go from the 700 block of Carter Street onto South College Street left on West Houston Street and will end on the square downtown.
Hot dogs will be given away and old fashioned games and other activities will be played. The concert is free.
Before Marshall's celebration the Gill community of Harrison County plans to have a Juneteenth celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Sabine Farm Historical Site located off U.S. 59 South and FM 1186. Free hot dogs chips and watermelon will be served and people are invited to bring games to play.
In Longview Juneteenth activities kick off today as the Longview Metro Chamber of Commerce presents an Art In The Evening fundraiser at 7 p.m. at the Summit Club with music provided by the Alter Ego Jazz Band. Tickets are $35 with tables sponsorships available for $400.
On Saturday there will be a parade that starts at the Interstate 20 Access Road and makes its way down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Broughton Recreation Center where the celebration will include games food vendors and activities. Lineup for the parade starts at 9 a.m.
The celebration in Longview continues the next weekend when the Real Cowboy Association presents the 22nd annual Juneteenth Black Rodeo at 7 30 p.m. June 27 at the Longview Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena. Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Cavender's in Longview and Tyler. Tickets at the gate are $15 each.
In Kilgore the annual Juneteenth Fun Fest and parade is set from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. downtown.
In Tyler a daylong Juneteenth celebration is set for Saturday starting with a parade at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Glenwood Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Other activities include a car show at 4 30 p.m. at the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza in front of the Smith County Courthouse and a music festival at 6 30 p.m. on the downtown square. Tickets to the festival are $35 at the gate or $25 in advance. VIP tickets are $50. For information visit www.eventbrite.com/e/2015 juneteenth musical festival tickets 15150568759 aff es2.
News Journal staffer Matthew Prosser and Tyler Morning Telegraph staff reporter Cory McCoy contributed to this report.
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