The newest federal holiday falls during the middle of the week this year. Here’s everything you need to know about the holiday, including when it is, what will be closed and why we celebrate.
When is Juneteenth 2024?
Juneteenth always falls on June 19. For 2024, it happens to be on a Wednesday.
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Is Juneteenth a national holiday?
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and has been since 2021.
Are banks open on Juneteenth?
Like most federal holidays, you can expect local banks and credit unions to be closed in observance of Juneteenth, so make sure you plan ahead if you need anything from the bank on Wednesday.
Branches of Capital One, Bank of America, PNC, Truist, CitiBank and JPMorgan Chase will be closed on Juneteenth, the companies confirmed to USA TODAY. Capital One Cafes will remain open.
Are government offices open on Juneteenth?
The City of Savannah’s administrative offices and facilities will be closed for Juneteenth but emergency services will remain open, according to a news release from Savannah.
Juneteenth is on Georgia’s list of recognized state holidays.
Will the DDS be open on Juneteenth?
No, the Georgia Department of Driver Services will be closed on Wednesday, June 19. The Georgia DDS has a full list of 2024 closures available at dds.georgia.gov.
Will I get mail on Juneteenth?
You won’t get your regular mail delivered on June 19 because the United States Postal Service will not be delivering. However, you may still get deliveries: FedEx and UPS will be open and offering their usual services.
Priority Mail Express is available 365 days a year, including federal holidays.
Will public transit still be available on Juneteenth?
Chatham Area Transit Authority will operate on a holiday schedule on Juneteenth and provide Zero-Fare service. According to CAT’s news release, the holiday schedule will apply to all fixed-route buses and CAT Mobility will operate until 10 p.m. to mirror the fixed-route schedule. The DOT will run from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and the Savannah Belles Ferry will run on its current schedule from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Customer service can also be reached from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling (912) 233-5767. Paratransit riders can still make reservations from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling the customer service line. CAT’s administrative offices will be closed for business, but the ticket window at the Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Will stores, restaurants close for Juneteenth?
Even though it is a federally recognized holiday, individual businesses can decide whether they would like to be open Juneteenth. You may want to call local stores or restaurants you’re planning on going to and ask if they’ll be open.
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Will trash still be picked up on Juneteenth?
Residential garbage collection and yard waste collection services will not run on Juneteenth. Collection services will resume on Thursday and proceed on a one-day delayed schedule. Street sweepers will also not run on Juneteenth and will resume on Thursday.
Recycling will not be impacted. The Dean Forest Landfill and Bacon Park Transfer Station will both be closed on Juneteenth. Both facilities will reopen at their regularly scheduled hours on Thursday.
For more information, call (912) 651-6579.
Why do we celebrate Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a holiday marking slaves in Texas learning in 1865 that they had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The executive order outlawed slavery in Confederate states beginning Jan. 1, 1863, the midpoint of the Civil War.
The holiday rose to prominence in 2020 amid the nationwide protests about racial inequality after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and George Floyd in Minnesota. President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.
Journal & Courier contributed to this report.
