Thursday, June 18, 2026
6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Veterans Park & Future Ancestors Learning Center
Free and Open to the Public

Join Rooted Futures Collective at the Future Ancestors Learning Center during Balch Springs’ Juneteenth celebration for an interactive community experience exploring how people, place, and nature are connected.

Throughout history, strong communities have relied on shared knowledge, stewardship, creativity, and cooperation. Rebuilding the Village invites visitors of all ages to rediscover those connections through hands-on activities, nature exploration, art, community science, and opportunities to imagine a healthier, more resilient future for generations to come.

This special evening program will unfold in two parts. During the first portion of the event, visitors can explore interactive exhibits, creative activities, community science opportunities, and displays highlighting local ecosystems and community stewardship. As sunset approaches, the experience will transition into a nighttime exploration of the natural world through Moths & Pollinators After Dark, a special rescheduled edition of this month’s Twilight Tuesday program.

Explore displays highlighting local ecosystems, pollinators, native plants, Blackland Prairie heritage, and citizen science. Create nature-inspired art, contribute to a community vision board, discover simple ways to support biodiversity at home, and learn how small actions can help strengthen both ecological and community resilience.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about the Future Ancestors Learning Center, an emerging outdoor learning and demonstration space at the Balch Springs Library dedicated to environmental education, stewardship, community science, and helping people reconnect with the living world around them.

As darkness falls, participants are invited to stay for a unique after-dark experience featuring moth lights, observation stations, and opportunities to discover the remarkable diversity of moths and other nocturnal pollinators that share our community. Every evening brings different visitors, offering a rare glimpse into a hidden side of local biodiversity.

Whether you’re interested in gardening, wildlife, conservation, local history, community-building, or simply spending time with neighbors, there will be opportunities to explore, create, learn, and share ideas.

At its heart, Rebuilding the Village is about remembering that healthy communities are built through relationships… with one another, with the places we call home, and with the generations who will inherit them.

Activities may include:

🌱 Community Vision Board: What Will You Grow?

🎨 Nature-Inspired Rock Painting & Creative Activities

🌳 Wooden Nature Craft Decorating

📱 Citizen Science & iNaturalist Exploration

🌾 Blackland Prairie & Native Plant Discovery

🦋 Pollinator & Biodiversity Exhibits

📚 Future Ancestors Learning Center Vision Display

🌙 Moths & Pollinators After Dark (Beginning at Sunset)

🔦 Nocturnal Insect Observation & Community Science

Come help us imagine what we can grow together!