Houston’s historic Emancipation Park will celebrate Juneteenth in style. As part of the parks annual festival to mark the holiday, the Third Ward park will dedicate its new performance stage.

Funded by the Kinder Foundation, the 5,000-square-foot stage includes an outdoor performance stage, green room, climate-controlled storage, and a tech room for controlling lights and sound. It’s phase one of an $18.5 million renovation project that will also include upgrades to the park’s cultural center that are expected to be completed later this summer.

“The completion of this new stage marks an important milestone for Emancipation Park and the community we serve,” said Corey Wilson, president and CEO of the Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC). “Emancipation Park is rooted in culture and community, and our responsibility as stewards is to honor that legacy while ensuring the park continues to thrive for generations to come. This new stage creates a permanent space for cultural expression and community celebration — and there is no better time to open it than during our annual Juneteenth celebration.”

Of course, the park’s Juneteenth: The Reunion celebration will take place this Friday, June 19. The stage will be dedicated at 4:30 pm in a ceremony with attended by EPC board members and local officials. The annual concert will follow. Performers include Robert Glasper, Scarface, Brian Courtney Wilson, King George, 803Fresh, and the Juneteenth Choir.

The event, which will take place from 4-10 pm, will also include a domino tournament, a kids zone with family-friendly activities, food vendors, and themed merchandise. Attendees are encouraged to wear all-white attire.

Famously founded in 1872 by a group of Black community leaders on a 10-acre plot of land they purchased for $800, Emancipation Park has served as the center of Houston’s Juneteenth celebrations ever since. The new upgrades build on the success of a $34 million renovation project that transformed the park when it was completed in 2017.

“Emancipation Park is one of Houston’s most significant parks, and Kinder Foundation is proud to continue investing in its future,” said Nancy Kinder, president and CEO, Kinder Foundation. “This new stage honors the park’s powerful legacy while creating new opportunities for arts, culture and community gatherings.”