Juneteenth 2025: What’s Open and Closed in NYC on Thursday, June 19

On Juneteenth 2025, Thursday, June 19, New York City will come to a quiet pause — not because of weather or protest, but because of history. For the fourth time since it became a federal holiday in 2021, the city will observe the day marking the end of slavery in the United States with closures across government, finance, and education — while businesses, transit, and parks remain open for those who choose to celebrate. The United States Postal Service will be shuttered, with no mail delivery. Banks? Closed. Schools? Closed. But your local Walmart and Target? Still open. And if you’re heading to the beach, you won’t pay a dime.

Government Shutdown: What’s Closed

Every federal agency in New York will be dark on Juneteenth 2025. That means the Social Security Administration offices, the Department of Motor Vehicles in both New York and New Jersey, and city departments like the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will all be closed. The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library are also shutting their doors — a quiet nod to the day’s gravity. Even the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will halt trading, following the Federal Reserve’s lead.

And yes — no mail. The United States Postal Service confirmed it: zero deliveries, zero post office operations. It’s a full stop, not a pause.

What’s Open: Retail, Transit, and Parks

While government buildings go dark, the city’s commercial heartbeat keeps ticking. Walmart, Target, Costco, and nearly two dozen chains under the Kroger umbrella will operate on normal hours. Costco will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. — same as always. Walgreens and CVS will be open too, though most pharmacies will be closed except for 24-hour locations. Don’t expect a prescription refill at your local CVS unless you’re in a major hub.

And here’s the twist: the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will run a full weekday schedule. Subways, buses, and commuter rails? All operating as if it were any other Thursday. Commuters won’t be stranded — but they’ll be sharing the ride with more people than usual, since many will be taking advantage of the day off.

For those looking to enjoy the outdoors, New York State Parks will offer free admission. Several beaches — including Coney Island and Jones Beach — are opening early, letting people dip their toes in the Atlantic a day before summer officially begins. It’s a small, symbolic gesture: freedom, sun, and saltwater.

Trash, Recycling, and Parking: The Fine Print

Don’t put your trash out Thursday morning. The Department of Sanitation of New York has issued clear instructions: if you normally get Thursday trash or compost pickup, leave it out Thursday night — collection starts Friday, June 20. Recycling? Hold off. Paper, plastic, glass — wait until Wednesday, June 25, to set it out. That’s right: a full week’s worth of recycling gets picked up on Thursday, June 26.

Alternate-side parking? Suspended. No tickets for violating the rules on Thursday. But all other parking regulations — meters, time limits, no-parking zones — remain in full force. So if you’re parked in a 2-hour zone, you’re still risking a ticket. Just not for the alternate-side rule.

Why This Matters Beyond the Closures

Juneteenth isn’t just about closing offices. It’s about recognition. In 2023, Pew Research found that at least 28 states gave state workers a paid day off for Juneteenth. New York is one of them. Companies like Nike, Target, and X (formerly Twitter) have offered paid days off to corporate employees since 2020. But for many, especially in Black communities, the day remains more than a holiday — it’s a reckoning, a celebration, a reminder.

The Brooklyn Juneteenth Festival, now in its 16th year, draws tens of thousands. It’s not just parades and food trucks. It’s poetry readings, voter registration drives, and ancestral storytelling. The closures aren’t an inconvenience — they’re an invitation. To reflect. To gather. To remember.

What’s Next? A Growing National Tradition

This is only the fourth Juneteenth as a federal holiday. But the way Americans observe it is evolving. More cities are adding cultural events. More employers are offering paid time off. More schools are integrating the history into curricula. In 2025, New York City’s public schools are closed — but they’ll return on Friday, June 20, with a week left in the term. That final week? Expect lessons on emancipation, Black joy, and the long road to equality.

And next year? It’ll be a Friday. And the year after that? A Saturday. The holiday won’t always land on a weekday. But the meaning won’t fade. Not here. Not now.