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Photos: East Austin buzzes with energy and joy during annual Juneteenth parade
By Katya Lemus
June 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM CDT
Austin held its 27th annual Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, marking 160 years since Union troops arrived in Galveston with the news of emancipation.
The Texas heat didn’t stop people from lining the streets with lawn chairs, as children eagerly caught candy from parade participants. The route buzzed with energy and joy from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Rosewood Avenue, as marchers danced, waved and celebrated.
Members of The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory summer marching band perform during the Juneteenth parade in Austin on Thursday. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but Austinites have been celebrating since 1867. The holiday commemorates the day troops arrived in Galveston to announce all enslaved people in Texas were free — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
People in a car hand out candy to the crowd along Chicon Street. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
The Texas heat didn’t stop people from lining the streets with lawn chairs, as children eagerly caught candy from parade participants. The route buzzed with energy and joy from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Rosewood Avenue, as marchers danced, waved and celebrated.
Members of The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory summer marching band perform during the Juneteenth parade in Austin on Thursday. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but Austinites have been celebrating since 1867. The holiday commemorates the day troops arrived in Galveston to announce all enslaved people in Texas were free — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
People in a car hand out candy to the crowd along Chicon Street. (3000x2000, AR: 1.5)