HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Many city offices across Hampton Roads will be closed Friday, June 19 in honor of Juneteenth.
Governor Ralph Northam was joined by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams Tuesday to announce that he will be proposing legislation making Juneteenth a state holiday.
Juneteenth is the oldest known commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, the last of the former Confederate states to abolish slavery, finally heard that the Civil War had ended, and learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had made them free nearly two years earlier.
In honor of Juneteenth, the following city offices will be closed:
Chesapeake
Because the City follows the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Holiday and Additional Time Off calendar, and in observance of Juneteenth, all City offices, libraries, community centers, and the Chesapeake Visitor Center will be closed this Friday, June 19. Friday’s trash and recycling collection will be moved to Saturday, June 20. All Chesapeake courts will remain open on Friday June 19.
City facilities will return to their COVID-19 partial opening schedules on Saturday, June 20.
Portsmouth
The municipal offices of the City of Portsmouth will be closed in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday on Friday, June 19 As a reminder, all City offices, libraries, museums, and recreation centers are currently closed to the public due to the impacts of COVID-19.
There will be no trash, bulk, or recycling collections on Friday, June 19th. All Friday routes will be collected on Saturday, June 20th. Please place all items for collection away from vehicles and other objects. For more information, please call the Division of Waste Management at 393-8663
Norfolk
“In observance of Juneteenth, All City of Norfolk offices will be closed Friday, June 19. Yesterday, the Governor announced that Juneteenth will be recognized as a state holiday, and I have directed our city manager to close city offices in its honor. Norfolk City Council will vote to declare Juneteenth a permanent city holiday on Tuesday, June 23,” said Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander.
Friday trash, recycling collection and previously scheduled bulk waste collections will take place on Saturday, June 20. Ocean View beach ambassadors will be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Visit Norfolk.gov and City of Norfolk Facebook and Twitter pages for updates to city operations anytime.
Suffolk
Suffolk City offices will be closed Friday. Operations will resume June 22 at 8:30 a.m.
The Treasurer’s Office and the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office inside City Hall and their satellite offices at the North Suffolk Library will remain closed to the public until further notice due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Suffolk Public Works Department and TFC Recycling will pick up trash and recyclables on a one-day delay, with Friday’s routes being picked up on Saturday.
Suffolk’s four major parks, Lone Star Lakes, Constant’s Wharf, Sleepy Hole, and Bennett's Creek, will remain open Friday; however, no park attendant will be on duty.
The East Suffolk Recreation Center and Whaleyville Recreation Center will be closed on Friday.
The Suffolk Executive Airport Terminal will be open only for restaurant access on Friday. The field and self-service fuel farm will remain open during this time.
The Mills E. Goodwin Courts Complex will be open on Friday and all scheduled court matters will be heard.
Virginia Beach
Mayor Robert M. “Bobby” Dyer has declared Friday a City holiday. Most City offices and facilities will be closed in observance of Juneteenth.
The following State offices will also be closed:
Virginia Beach Health Department
Voter Registrar’s Office—closed Friday, open Saturday, June 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the final day of absentee voting for the Tuesday, June 23 Republican Party Primary
The following City facilities will be OPEN:
All Virginia Beach city parks and park facilities – 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
All Virginia Beach Courts and Clerk’s Offices
The Virginia Aquarium will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Virginia Beach Farmers Market Merchants – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WASTE COLLECTION:
Friday’s trash, yard waste and bulky Item collection has been canceled for Friday, June 19, but will instead be collected on Saturday, June 20.
Normal recycling services for Friday, June 19.
Landfill and Resource Recovery Center will be closed Friday, June 19, and will reopen on Saturday, June 20, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Williamsburg
City offices will be closed on Friday, in observation of Juneteenth.
The holiday will not impact emergency services.
Parks will remain open with limited services in accordance to Phase Two guidelines.
Garbage service schedule will be unchanged.
Newport News
Newport News city offices, buildings and facilities will be closed on Friday, June 19 in recognition of Juneteenth. The Voter Registrar’s Office at City Hall will still be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for absentee voting for the Republican Primary, and the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter located at 5843 Jefferson Avenue will be open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for adoptions.
Governor Ralph Northam announced earlier this week that he is proposing legislation to make Juneteenth a state holiday. While Newport News does not follow the state holiday schedule and instead specifies city holidays in the City Code, City Council has agreed to close city offices on Friday.
NOTE: This closure does not affect solid waste collections as there are no scheduled collections on Fridays
This list will continue to be updated as more local cities make closing announcements.
