In support of African American artists and businesses, the event will feature vendors offering holiday gifts, performances by local musicians and school groups, a children’s craft area, plus the recent opening of two acclaimed exhibitions presented in conjunction with Deep Ellum’s 150th anniversary Celebrating Black artists, businesses, and local music, the annual “Christmas Music Under the Dome and Christmas Marketplace” will take place Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the African American Museum, Dallas. The Museum is located at 3536 Grand Ave., Dallas, 75210, in historic Fair Park.
Free and open to the public, the holiday extravaganza will offer visitors a variety of unique “shop local” gifts – including handcrafted jewelry, accessories and more – plus a children’s craft area and performances by North Texas musicians and school groups. Visitors will also have an opportunity to view two acclaimed exhibitions that recently debuted in conjunction with Deep Ellum’s 150th anniversary.
One vendor, who specializes in African-made jewelry, will donate 100% of their proceeds to the African American Museum, Dallas. Other vendors will sell handbags, wallets and accessories; jewelry; paper crafts; exploding gift boxes; skin care and more. The Museum’s store – which contains a curated collection of books, gifts, posters, jewelry, art, children’s items, attire and more – will also be open.
Additionally, local choral and band groups from Dallas ISD will perform throughout the day, including the Lincoln High School and Humanities/Communications Magnet Media Ensemble, Billy Earl Dade Middle School Ensemble and the Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School Hand Bell Choir.
At the newly-opened children’s center, kids can create two crafts that will be donated to older adults in retirement and assisted living facilities.
The event also provides an opportunity to view two exhibitions that illuminate Central Track, which is connected to Deep Ellum and was once a thriving African American community whose roots date back to the Civil War. Central Track was demolished in the 1940s to make way for the North Central Expressway and the I-345 overpass.
Central Track: Crossroads of Deep Ellum focuses primarily on the 1920s and 1930s and features newspaper clippings, archival photographs, posters, and recordings of blues, jazz, and popular music of the period. Seeing a World Blind Lemon Never Saw presents a photographic series made by Alan Govenar from 2021-2023, exploring rural East Texas and little-known places in Dallas, locations Blind Lemon visited or alluded to in his songs.
Visitors are also encouraged to visit the Museum’s permanent exhibition, Facing The Rising Sun: Freedman’s Cemetery,which was initiated by Govenar and Documentary Arts and curated by Collins in 1996. The exhibition contains photographs, found objects and historical documents that provide further insight into the area now known as Uptown. Interactive video kiosks allow visitors to see and hear from the people who knew Freedman’s Town first-hand.
Season sponsors of the African American Museum, Dallas, are Atmos, Eugene McDermott Foundation, Fair Park First and Spectra Venue Management, Friendship-West Baptist Church, Oncor, State Fair of Texas,and the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture.
HOURS. The African American Museum, Dallas is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free self-parking is available in nearby lots.
For more information, go to aamdallas.org or call214-565-9026.
