Free Juneteenth celebration pairs blues and innovation Friday at Heritage Center

The Heart of the Hills Heritage Center will mark Juneteenth on Friday with a free evening celebration of live blues, barbecue and hands-on demonstrations of local ingenuity inspired by the Smithsonian’s “Spark! Places of Innovation” exhibit at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center.

The Juneteenth Innovation Celebration runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission, including entry to the center’s exhibits, is free.

On the front lawn, Ghosts of the Pleasure Garden will perform a set tracing how blues music shaped the sound of the 1960s British rock movement.

Inside, visitors can cool off and explore demonstrations inspired by the Spark! exhibit: the locally invented hummingbird feeder, presented by Marion and Harriet Lewis; an interactive hummingbird simulation from Riverside Nature Center; fiber art by Andrea Rummel; and the custom musical instruments of Clifton Fifer.

Black & Blues Barbecue will sell turkey legs on-site, and Kerrville Hills Winery will provide complimentary wine.

Free parking is available in the garage at 201 Clay Street. The Spark! exhibit that inspired the evening’s demonstrations remains on view at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center through Sunday, June 28.