Three-day celebration honoring freedom and culture will feature music, family activities, food vendors and community resources at indoor venues in Corpus Christi.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend Juneteenth Festival is returning this weekend with a full lineup of music, family activities and cultural events. Still, organizers have moved this year’s celebration indoors due to the possibility of rain and extreme heat.
Festival organizer Tina Butler said the three-day event, running June 19 through June 21, will continue as planned with activities taking place at the Omni Hotel and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
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The celebration begins Friday with the Liberation After Dark dance from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Omni Hotel.
Events on Saturday and Sunday will be held at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and will feature nationally recognized performers, local entertainment and family-friendly attractions.
Saturday’s headliner is rapper Bun B, with additional guest performers. Festivalgoers will also hear from local band Underground Frequency and the Bayou Brass Band, a group familiar to many Texas Jazz Festival attendees.
Sunday’s headliner is singer-songwriter Elle Varner, who Butler said plans to release a new song during her Corpus Christi appearance.
“We have moved the festivities indoors due to possible rain this weekend,” Butler said. “Everything that we normally do outside, we still do inside.”
Organizers said the festival will continue to offer many of its traditional attractions, including a Kids Zone, youth poster contest, food vendors and booths featuring local organizations sharing information about programs and services available in the community.
The move indoors may also provide relief from the intense South Texas heat expected throughout the weekend.
In addition to celebrating Juneteenth and educating the community about its history, Butler said the event serves as the nonprofit organization’s largest annual fundraiser.
Funds raised during the festival help support several community programs throughout the year, including hunger assistance efforts, STEM education classes, leadership camps, Easter events and holiday food distributions for seniors and residents with disabilities.
“We do a lot with the funds that we have,” Butler said. “Some people think it’s just for the festival. No, it’s our annual fundraiser. It pays for everything.”
Butler said the organization’s volunteers include employees from Del Mar College, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi ISD and local retirees who donate their time to make the event possible.
As the festival has grown over the years, Butler said she has been encouraged by the community’s continued support.
“Actually, I’m happy to see it grow,” Butler said.
Organizers are encouraging anyone interested in attending to purchase tickets online ahead of the event.