Juneteenth National Independence Day was designated a US federal holiday in 2021, making it the first new federal holiday since the designation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. This means most banks and federal offices will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Juneteenth is a portmanteau word formed from “June” and “nineteenth” and commemorates the date when the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in Galveston, TX, effectively abolishing slavery throughout the United States. Galveston was one of the most remote regions that still had slaves; thus, this enforcement freed the remaining enslaved peoples. Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980.
To view the activities planned for the celebration in the Charleston area, click here.
The local holiday hours for Juneteenth 2026 are as follows:
SIPOA Offices will be open on Friday, June 19. Check sipoa.org for office hours.
The Town of Seabrook Island Office will be closed on Friday, June 19, for the holiday. They will reopen on Monday, June 22, with normal hours. Check townofseabrook.org for office hours.
Vincent’s Pharmacy will be open on Friday, June 19, with normal hours.
Post and Computer Center will be open on Friday, June 19, with normal hours.
Harris Teeter will be open on Friday, June 19, with normal hours.
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: istockphoto.com)