Are banks, post offices and grocery stores closed for Juneteenth? Here’s what to know

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Tribune News Service
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Opal Lee, left, Grandmother of Juneteenth, cheers alongside Cynt Marshall, right, Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Mavericks, during Opal's Walk for Freedom on Monday, June 19, 2023, in Fort Worth. Banks, post offices and other government offices will close Wednesday in honor of the federal holiday. (Shafkat Anowar/Dallas Morning News via TNS)
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By Sarah Bahari | Dallas Morning News

Americans will celebrate Juneteenth on Wednesday, which means banks, post offices and other government buildings will close.

The holiday recognizes the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston to inform enslaved people of their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Black Americans, especially in Texas, have celebrated the day for decades. In 2021, President Joe Biden, with Fort Worth’s Opal Lee at his side, signed into law a bill declaring Juneteenth a national holiday. Lee, who long championed federal recognition of the holiday, is known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”

In 2016, Lee made her way from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., walking 2½ miles in several cities along the way to represent the time it took for news of emancipation to reach Galveston. This year, she will lead the symbolic walk through Dallas.

While restaurants and grocery stores will largely remain open, banks, post offices and other government offices will close to mark the day.

Here’s what’s open and closed:

U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS

All post offices will be closed, with no residential and business mail deliveries on Wednesday.

UPS pickup and delivery services will be available, and store locations will be open, according to the company’s website. FedEx pickup and delivery services will also be available, according to the company’s website, and store locations will be open.

Ethan Terry, 11, carries a banner at the city commissioners court in McAllen during the proclamation celebration of Juneteenth on Friday, June, 19, 2020 in McAllen. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

Banks

All major banks and their branches will close. However, ATMs and online banking will remain available.

Grocery and retail stores

Most grocery stores will have normal hours Wednesday, including H-E-B, Kroger, Tom Thumb and Albertsons, the stores confirmed Monday. Retail stores, including Target and Walmart, will also be open with normal hours.

City, county and state offices

Most city and county offices will close on Wednesday, as will other South Texas government offices. All federal and state offices will close for the day as well.

©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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