MUSIC

It's Houston's Juneteenth Celebration! Houston Institute for Culture brings a stellar musical lineup to Miller Outdoor Theatre with their annual Juneteenth celebration on Tuesday, June 19 at 7pm. Highlighting this year's musical performances is Houston's jazz legend  Joe Sample (pictured). The event is free.

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration presents an exciting music lineup to celebrate Juneteenth, one of the region's most significant historic events, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas. Music fans will gather from across the region at Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston's largest public outdoor theatre,  to hear performances by noted artists representing the rich African American musical traditions. 

Juneteenth ("Emancipation Day"), with its roots in Galveston, Texas, is a historical observance growing in popularity across the Gulf Coast and the United States. Juneteenth is honored in many of the same ways as July 4th - with family get-togethers, cookouts, religious gatherings, and live music. The celebration began on June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 in Galveston, more than two months after the end of the Civil War, proclaiming "Slaves are free." Juneteenth spread to Houston, where it has been celebrated annually for nearly 150 years.

Houstonians are urged to strengthen the tradition of Juneteenth by coming to Hermann Park early on Tuesday, June 19, 2012 to celebrate with family, friends and coworkers.

The park features 445 wooded acres with picnic tables and grills, along with fountains, gardens, statues, playgrounds for children and educational facilities, such as the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo. Miller Outdoor Theatre is located in Hermann Park at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas, 77030. Miller Outdoor Theatre is wheelchair accessible. MetroRail serves Hermann Park. Information can be found at www.ridemetro.org. Concert-goers bringing cars are encouraged to carpool.

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration is produced by Houston Institute for Culture with support from the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts and Aramark. In 2008, Houston's Juneteenth Celebration was called the "Number 3 Hotspot in the Nation" by Smithsonian Magazine in an article about summer festival destinations. The event is attended by people from coast to coast - from San Jose, California to Bangor, Maine.

Over the years, the event has featured many of the region's most notable traditional African American artists and music groups, including Leo Nocentelli (a founder of the Meters), David Batiste (of the Gladiators), Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Glen David Andrews, Corey Ledet, Texas Johnny Brown, Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy, I.J. Gosey, Earl Gilliam, Sherman Robertson, Trudy Lynn and many more.

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