Wharton’s first annual Juneteenth Soul Food and R&B Community Feast kicks off Saturday at Guadalupe Park. The event will feature food vendors, R&B music, and family-friendly activities. Organizer Beth Evans says the goal is to build a strong local tradition, similar to Wharton’s past downtown celebrations. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865—the day Union troops enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. It became a federal holiday in ’21, boosting recognition of Black history and freedom across the U.S.