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Juneteenth 2026 is here and not everything is open
Banks, USPS and the stock market are closed today while most stores stay open as usual
Today, June 19 is Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States. Most stores will stay open, but several key services will not. Here is what you need to know before heading out.
What Juneteenth marks
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people that the Civil War had ended and they were free. The Emancipation Proclamation had become federal law at the start of 1863, meaning it took two and a half years for that news to reach Texas. The day is also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, and it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Banks and the stock market are closed
Major banks including Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo will be closed today in observance of the holiday. Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will also be closed for the day.
USPS is closed but FedEx and UPS are open
All US Postal Service locations will be closed on June 19, and mail deliveries are suspended for the day. Service resumes Saturday, June 20. FedEx and UPS will both make deliveries and keep retail locations open as usual.
Most major retailers stay open
Walmart confirmed it will operate during normal hours. Costco, which closes for some federal holidays, will stay open for Juneteenth. Target will also be open, though hours vary by location.
Grocery stores operating normally include Food Lion, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans and Whole Foods. Retail and fast food locations staying open include Apple, CVS, Dunkin’, IHOP, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Marshalls, McDonald’s, Nordstrom, Petco, Starbucks, Taco Bell and TJ Maxx, among others. Macy’s may have extended hours at select locations.
A day worth knowing
Juneteenth carries real historical weight beyond the store hours. The Atlanta History Center, for example, is using the occasion to spotlight artifacts from its Black history collection, including pieces tied to the city’s Jim Crow era. In Georgia, the day also arrives as state lawmakers navigate the future of political redistricting following a US Supreme Court ruling that weakened key parts of the Voting Rights Act, which Congress extended by an 85 to 8 Senate vote on June 19, 1982.
For most people, today will look like a regular day in terms of errands. The key exceptions are the bank, the post office and the stock market. Plan accordingly and the day should run smoothly.
SOURCE: CBS NEWS
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