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Here's what open and closed on Juneteenth 2024
Juneteenth may be the newest state and federal holiday on the calendar, but yearly observances and celebrations around June 19 stretch back more than 100 years.
It's a recognition of the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after it was issued. It's also known as the country's second Independence Day.
Here are a few of the events planned to commemorate the holiday:
- Saturday, June 15 | The Benkadi Drum and Dance group, a Cambridge-based company that focuses on traditional West African dance performances, will perform at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. The event is free but requires registration.
- Saturday, June 15 | Ifé Franklin, a local artist and community activist, will host an Egun Ancestor Procession at Copp's Hill Burying Ground in the North End. The event aims to provide a space to "honor the lives of the enslaved whose burial sites are often forgotten," according to Franklin.
- Saturday, June 15 | Boston's NAACP will host a Juneteenth celebration at Franklin Park. The event is free and will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Folks can expect barbecues, music and dancing at the Shattuck Picnic Grove.
- Wednesday, June 19 | Both the Museum of the Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will offer free admission for Massachusetts residents on the day. The MFA will offer free guided tours and the "Hallyu! The Korean Wave" exhibit for folks to peruse. People can also stop by an art fair with Mission Hill Main Streets starting at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aside from the free admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Gardner will also screen BLACK. Narratives in Boston Black Queer and Trans History followed with a conversation moderated by Giselle Byrd, executive director at the Theater Offensive.
What's open and closed on Juneteenth (June 19):
Federal offices: Closed.
Federal courts: Closed.
Post offices: Closed.
State offices: Closed.
RMV: Closed.
State courts: Closed.
Municipal offices: Closed.
Public schools: Closed.
Libraries: Closed.
Trash pickup: Check with your local government or provider. Boston residents can check for pickup delays by searching their addresses here.
Banks: Closed.
Stock market: Closed.
Retail locations: Open, holiday hours may differ.
Liquor stores: Open.
Supermarkets: Open.
MBTA: All T services will operate on their regular schedule.
