What's Open, Closed On MLK Day 2021 In Sandy Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday honoring the civil rights leader and his legacy, falls on Monday, Jan. 18 this year, and a variety of services will be closed in Sandy Springs on the day.

King's birthday is Jan. 15, but the federal holiday celebrating the civil rights leader is observed on the third Monday of January each year.

King was an advocate for nonviolent social change and the most famous leader of the civil rights movement. His essays and speeches continue to inform discussions and education around race and civil rights.

Here's a breakdown of how the holiday could impact your routine:

• Fulton County courts, facilities and offices will be closed on Monday.
• Fulton County public safety services are available 365 days per year.
• Municipal offices for Sandy Springs will be closed.
• Garbage collection depends on hauler in Sandy Springs.
• All Fulton County public libraries will be closed on Monday. Curbside services will resume Tuesday as scheduled. Reminder: the libraries are offering curbside service only from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturdays.
• Alpharetta Adult Activity Center at North Park will be closed Thursday and Friday.
• Park Place Senior Center is currently closed.
• Fulton County Schools students are off on Monday, all offices are closed.
• This is a federal holiday and all U.S. Postal Service post offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 18. No mail will be delivered or sent. Regular business hours will resume Tuesday, Jan. 19.
• All banks will be closed.
• Publix and Kroger stores will be open.

The history of the MLK holiday in America is a complicated one.

Almost immediately after King's assassination in 1968, activists began pushing for a holiday celebrating his Jan. 15 birthday. However, the official national holiday wasn't signed into law until 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.

The first federal MLK Day was observed on the third Monday of January in 1986, but many states held out. Arizona didn't recognize the day until 1992, when the state lost its rights to host the Super Bowl after voters in Arizona failed to make the day a paid holiday.

The last state to adopt the holiday? New Hampshire, in 1999.

Know of any other businesses that will be closed? Post in the comments below to let us know.