Photo: Darryl Howard Photography

Food, fun, live music and more. Mark your calendar for Emancipations Park Conservancy’s annual Juneteenth party.

“We’re calling it the Reunion,” says new CEO and president Corey Wilson. “Historically a lot of African American families were separated so family reunions were important celebrations.”

Wilson came here in January from his job as Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” he says. “But it’s also really exciting preparing for the Juneteenth event. We’re expecting between 5,000 and 7,500 people. I’m humbled to be leading the organization that is putting on this event.”

Photo: Emancipation Park Conservancy

Wilson says the conservancy’s $18.5 million renovations are on track to be finished by June 19, the day Texas celebrates when the slaves learned they were free. Juneteenth figures heavily in the park’s history. In 1872 the 10-acre space was bought by former enslaved individuals Reverend Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, and Elias Dibble for $800 as a place to celebrate Juneteenth. It is considered the oldest park in Houston and during the Jim Crow era it was the only park for African Americans. In 1916 it was donated to the City of Houston and became an official city park 1918 but it wasn’t until 1922 that it was segregated. As time went by the city built a community center, a swimming pool, bathhouse, sports fields, and a basketball court. The park was designated a UNESCO Slave Route Project site in 2019, one of seven sites in the City to be included. As such, it is an historical landmark, and it is also part of the Emancipation Trail, the route along which freed slaves moved from Galveston to Houston after 1865 when Texas learned of the Emancipation.

Part of the current renovations include a new state-of-the-art stage. Slightly larger than 5,000 square feet, the space will feature a new outdoor performance stage, green room facilities, climate-controlled storage facility, and an audio-visual tech room. Located at the southeast corner of the campus near Elgin Street and adjacent to the historic Eldorado Ballroom, the new amenities will create a premier home for arts and cultural programming. The Juneteenth events will inaugurate it.

Photo: Emancipation Park Conservancy

“Previously we had a rent a stage and lights,” Wilson says. “So, we’re very excited to have our own state-of-the-art performing space, one where we can host events throughout the year.” The 11,000-square-foot cultural center will also undergo a remodel, adding digital story telling capabilities, gift shop space, and audio-visual capabilities that Wilson says the conservancy is working with area museums to provide rotating exhibits. For Juneteenth they will be showcasing the history of the Third Ward.

And there’s much more. Live music — both big names like Scarface and King George — and local talent, a youth fun zone where the Houston Parks and Recreation Department will provide games and crafts, local food trucks to provide eats, a domino tournament, and a vendor village with more than fifty local business. “Economic empowerment is one of our core principals,” adds Wilson. But don’t ask him what he’s most excited to see on Juneteenth. “That’s’ like asking who’s your favorite kid,” he laughs.

It’s all free and open to the public but the conservancy would like you to make a reservation here, so they can get a head count, although Wilson says you won’t be turned away if you don’t.

And after Juneteenth? Wilson says there will be increased programming at the park and movie nights as well as a return to Jazzy Sundays in the Park, which were cancelled this spring due to the construction.

by Marene Gustin