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Your cheat sheet to Juneteenth: Everything you need to know about Galveston's historic moment

As the story goes, Juneteenth originated in Galveston on June 19, 1865. It was there, nearly three years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, that Major General Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers arrived with the news that slaves had been freed.

That historic day remains a cause for celebration and jubilation — especially on the island, where residents and visitors will mark the homegrown holiday with nearly a full week of events .

The Galveston Juneteenth Parade kicks off along Seawall Boulevard near McGuire Dent Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday with marching bands, drill teams, art cars and performers in tow. The parade will continue up 29th Street to Avenue M, ending at Kermit Courville Stadium.

Those are the grounds for the Galveston Juneteenth Music Festival, which will take place from 12 to 8 p.m. In exchange for a $7 admission fee (waived for children 15 and under), expect food, vendors, carnival activities for kids and live entertainment for the whole family, including Step Rideau and The Zydeco Outlaws, KlockWork Band and Aaron Josey Revue with special guest Reu Davis.

Other weekend activities include free historical reenactments and family activities at Stringfellow Orchards in Hitchcock (Saturday, from 1 to 6 p.m.) and a free Juneteenth Gospel Concert (Sunday, from 2 to 6 p.m.)

On June 19, celebrants will convene at the Ashton Villa — the historic home where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in June 1865 — for the 34th Annual Al Edwards Emancipation Proclamation Reading and Prayer Breakfast at 8:30 a.m.

After a free Juneteenth Jubilee Picnic (at noon at Wright Cuney Park) and a Juneteenth celebration at Jack Johnson Park (from 1 to 5 p.m.), holiday festivities will be capped off with the Reedy Chapel's Annual March, Musical & Reception (led by troopers from the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum of Houston, leaving from the Old Galveston Court House at 6 p.m.) and the 13th Annual Mount Olive Gospel Explosion (from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Mount Olive Baptist Church).

Find more information about events and locations on the Galveston Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana