Amarillo will mark Juneteenth with a weeklong celebration dedicated to community empowerment, cultural pride and honoring the legacy of freedom.
Set for June 16 through June 22, the city’s 2025 Juneteenth Empowerment Week will feature educational events, family-friendly activities, and the annual parade and park celebration. Organized around the theme “Locking arms and moving forward,” the schedule is anchored at the Black Historical Cultural Center in the North Heights neighborhood.
In addition, the city of Amarillo will have offices closed Thursday and city services adjusted for the Juneteenth holiday; the full schedule follows below.
“This celebration is about bringing people together,” said Melodie Graves, co-chair of the Juneteenth Committee of the Amarillo events. “In a time when so much is dividing us, we need spaces that remind us how connected we really are.”
Juneteenth Empowerment Week event schedule
Monday, June 16 – Social Services Resource Fair
Location: Black Historical Cultural Center
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Empowerment Week will begin with more than 30 community organizations on hand to offer information about health, housing, mental health services and family support.
Tuesday, June 17 – Educational Services Night
Location: Black Historical Cultural Center
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Vendors will provide resources on GED programs, college applications, scholarships, homeownership and financial literacy.
Wednesday, June 18 – Black Business Networking Event
Location: Black Historical Cultural Center
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Local Black-owned businesses will showcase goods and services, with the goal of creating a citywide directory to support economic growth and visibility.
“Empowerment Week is our way of saying: here are the tools, the resources, the knowledge — everything you need to succeed,” Graves said. “We’re not just celebrating freedom; we’re investing in our future.”
Thursday, June 19 – Juneteenth Day events
Juneteenth Brunch & Awards Ceremony
Location: Black Historical Cultural Center
Time: Brunch at 10:45 a.m.; program at 11 a.m.
Three local trailblazers — Rose Taylor, Charles Hood, and James Allen — will be honored with Golden Dragon awards for their longstanding community contributions.
“These are people who have carried the torch,” Graves said. “They’ve poured into this city for decades, and we want to give them their flowers — literally and figuratively — while they can still receive them.”
Mural Unveiling by Blank Spaces
Location: Outside the Black Historical Cultural Center
Time: 1 p.m.
Blank Spaces will unveil its 100th mural, depicting scenes of Black family life, literacy and love. The design also includes a tribute to Mathew “Bones” Hooks, known for gifting white flowers during moments of celebration and remembrance.
“This mural is about legacy,” Graves said. “To have it unveiled on Juneteenth makes it that much more powerful.”
Annual Juneteenth Pageant
Location: Palo Duro High School
Time: 6 p.m.
The community will crown Little Miss Juneteenth, Miss Teen Juneteenth and Miss Juneteenth 2025. Admission is $5, with proceeds supporting scholarships.
Friday, June 20 events
Brackens Water Bash
Location: Thompson Park Pool, 3491 Dumas Drive
Time: Noon to 3 p.m.
The first 250 children will receive free admission and lunch provided by the High Plains Food Bank Kids Cafe.
“This is one of the events I look forward to most every year,” Graves said. “It’s about making sure our kids have a fun, safe space to just be kids. And thanks to our community partners, it’s free, it’s festive, and it’s full of joy.”
Karaoke and Line Dancing Night
Location: Black Historical Cultural Center Courtyard
Time: 7 p.m.
Guests can enjoy karaoke on a large outdoor screen and learn choreographed line dances. Food trucks will also be on site.
“It’s just about joy — music, dancing, good food and community,” Graves said. “We want people of all ages to come out and enjoy themselves.”
Saturday, June 21 – parade and park festivities
Juneteenth Parade
Location: Begins at Black Historical Cultural Center, ends at Bones Hooks Park
Time: Lineup at 8:30 a.m.; parade at 10 a.m.
More than 40 entries are expected in this year’s parade.
Park Celebration
Location: Bones Hooks Park, 2000 N. Hughes St.
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event will include free food, local vendors, DJs, giveaways and stage performances. Headliner: Christian hip-hop artist Miles Minnick.
“We’re looking forward to one of the biggest celebrations Amarillo has ever seen,” Graves said. “But more than anything, we want it to be uplifting and inclusive.”
Sunday, June 22 – Final Day
Church in the Park
Location: Bones Hooks Park
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Area congregations will gather for a community-wide service.
Hamlet vs. Heights All-Star Basketball Games
Location: Palo Duro High School
Time: Women’s game at 2:30 p.m.; Men’s game at 4:30 p.m.
Graves said the Juneteenth holiday remains a critical moment of reflection and celebration.
“Juneteenth isn’t just a Black holiday — it’s an American holiday,” she said. “It tells a part of our nation’s story that the Fourth of July doesn’t. And it gives us the chance to celebrate how far we’ve come while pushing for the progress that’s still needed.”
Even as other cities scale back public celebrations, Graves said Amarillo remains committed.
“Even if there’s pushback, we push harder,” she said. “Our children deserve to experience this joy and carry it forward.”
City of Amarillo adjusts service schedule, office hours for holiday
To observe the Juneteenth holiday, the city of Amarillo will adjust the following services:
- City Hall, Municipal Court, and Library branches will be closed Thursday.
- Amarillo City Transit will operate on a reduced schedule Thursday.
- Solid Waste Collection:
- Residential: Thursday routes will be collected Wednesday, June 18.
- Commercial: Service will run Wednesday and Friday; no collection Thursday.
- Curbside: Will resume Friday.
- Landfill will be closed.
- Brush sites will be open on their regular schedule (8 a.m.–noon on Mon/Tue/Fri/Sat).
- Ross Rogers and Comanche Trail golf courses will operate with normal hours.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag