The third annual North Texas Juneteenth Festival from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 18, at the Fair Park Tower, includes the Juneteenth Parade, iconic musical performances and Auto Fest, as well as local vendors and businesses to build community, connections and commerce. With programming to engage community and guests from youth to seniors, this is a family- friendly event with more than 20 offerings.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared more than 3 million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached those living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, that the state's residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished.

Location: 3809 Grand Ave., Dallas. For more information, call 214-775-9955 or 469-930-0066.