The Marble Falls Juneteenth-Freedom Day festival is a celebration for everyone, said the Rev. George Perry of St. Frederick Baptist Church, the main host of the event. The 2025 jubilee, with live music, food, and family fun, is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 21 at Westside Park, 1610 Second St.
The historic St. Frederick’s recently opened a Black History Museum on its grounds, 301 Avenue N in Marble Falls, and will offer tours that day.
“(Juneteenth) is, to me, an important event,” Perry told The Picayune Magazine, a sister publication of 101HighlandLakes.com. “I want to educate the public that Juneteenth is not just for African Americans because we weren’t in this by ourselves. You know, other folks helped get us where we are.”
Juneteenth marks the day when news of the emancipation of enslaved people reached Texas, two months months after the end of the Civil War. U.S. Gen. Gordan Granger and 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, to enforce the executive decree. The first Juneteenth celebration was thought to have taken place the next year.
Today, Juneteenth is a federal holiday and celebrated as Freedom Day in Marble Falls and other places. However, the event is more than fun and fellowship, according to the Rev. Perry.
“What I want people to take away from it is that we are one,” he told The Picayune Magazine. “And—I guess to put it bluntly—for people to realize and understand that prejudice has no room in our society. Too many people see color, and there is no real distinction between us. We’re all children of God.”
The festival is possible due to a coalition of people and churches, including Fellowship Baptist of Marble Falls, making it a bridge-building occasion.
“(Freedom Day) creates the opportunity for building a healthy community founded on relationships that share in life rather than the mistrust of a dysfunctional community,” Fellowship Pastor Jamie Greening told The Picayune Magazine. “Juneteenth is an opportunity for us to choose a vibrant, connected, caring community.”
Learn more about Marble Falls’ Freedom Day event and the Black History Museum on St. Frederick’s website.
