The “Show Me City” will mark two community unity milestones on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10 with the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Visitors Center and the commemoration of the Fourth Annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture & Music.

The festivities will launch with City Council and staff showcasing the Visitors Center on Friday, Feb. 9 at a 5 p.m. grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The new facility is located inside our redesigned Community Center and features a holographic virtual assistant and interactive kiosk. The project is an opportunity for the City to share our tourism program with the public and highlight the great sites we have for regional visitors to enjoy, including the award-winning Edible Arbor Trail, the top-ranked Quail Valley Golf Course and City Centre at Quail Valley, the historical Freedom Tree Park, a variety of other premier parks and fine-dining restaurants, a first-class movie theater, and a three-star hotel that offers family-friendly staycations,” said City Manager Anthony J. Snipes. “My team and I can’t wait to show residents and stakeholders all of the fun they can have exploring one of America’s BEST places to live, work and play!”

The Visitors Center was funded by $100,000 in hotel occupancy tax revenue, which also accounts for a Tourism Manager (recruitment for the position is under way). For more event details, see image below:

Following the Visitors Center ceremony, City officials will kick-off the Fourth Annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture & Music with an Artists & Authors Exhibition at 6 p.m. in the Community Center, 1522 Texas Pkwy. Then, on Saturday, Feb. 10 in the same facility, the formal event program will feature an inaugural panel on Education & the Economy with Dr. Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, President of the Missouri City Houston Community College Campus, Dr. Charles Dupre, Fort Bend Independent School District Superintendent, Dr. Robert Bostic, Stafford Municipal School District Superintendent and Dr. Gleniece Robinson, Director of Educational Strategies for the City of Fort Worth.

Please see full event schedule below:

“We’re proud to see our Black History Month tradition continue to recognize African-American culture and accomplishments. This year we wanted to seamlessly blend together celebrations of history, local artists, authors, educators, entertainers, business owners and of course our area youth,” said City Manager Snipes. “All of these events will be top-notch and we look forward to hosting residents and stakeholders from across the region.”

Black History Month partners include H-E-B, Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), BlueCross Blue Shield, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP, Houston Community College, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), Fort Bend Academy of Arts & Dance (FBAAD), Micheaux’s Diner & Catering, INC., The Greatest BBQ, Texasiana Food Truck, Boogie’s BBQ, The Pink Company, Cajun Pits Catering and Niagara Bottling, LLC.

Volunteer opportunities are available for this event; interested residents may contact Media Relations Specialist III Cory Stottlemyer at cstottlemyer@missouricitytx.gov or at 281.403.8532.

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