Indigenous Peoples Day, Columbus Day: What's Open, Closed In Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS — Communities across Massachusetts will mark Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, and that means there will be a host of closures — even if most people don't get the day off from work.

Here what’s open, what’s closed and some travel changes to expect over the weekend into Monday:

• Municipal government offices: Closed
• State government offices: Closed
• Schools: Closed
• Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed
• Federal offices: Closed
• Post offices: Closed
• Banks: Mostly closed
• Stock market: Open
• State parks: Open
• Grocery stores: Hours vary
• Malls: Open, hours vary
• Liquor stores: Open
• MBTA: Anyone traveling on the MBTA should check schedules here
• Trash pickups: Some communities delay by one day, check your local schedul
• Traffic: MassDOT road work outside fixed work zones will not take place from 5 a.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Tuesday

The Sumner Tunnel in Boston, which has scheduled weekend closures during the fall season due to a reconstruction project, will be open for the holiday weekend, according to MassDOT.

MassDOT said if you're planning to travel for the upcoming holiday weekend, expect a higher volume of vehicles on the roads. MassDOT encourages anyone planning to travel do so during off-peak hours.

“Many people have a three-day weekend and will be traveling around New England to make the most of it," Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said in a statement. "We encourage motorists to make their trips when traffic may be low, check the weather forecasts, consider public transportation, and remember the rules of the road.”

The MBTA will have some schedule changes due to the holiday. On Monday, MBTA subway lines, bus routes, and The RIDE will operate on a Saturday schedule and Commuter Rail lines and ferry services will operate on a weekday schedule.

Columbus Day at the federal level dates back at least to 1892, when then President Benjamin Harrison called for a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the date when Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas, according to History.com.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt codified the day as a federal holiday in 1937.

Columbus Day has been a topic of debate in recent years, with supporters of Columbus Day defending the day, in part, as a celebration of Italian-American culture.

Advocates seeking to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day have noted the impact of European colonization by Columbus and others, noting the spread of disease as well as other atrocities against Indigenous people.

In Massachusetts, 28 communities recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, from Boston to Easthampton to Grafton — home of the Nipmuc Nation Tribal Council. A handful of school systems mark IPD in towns that have not yet recognized the day including Chelsea, Acton-Boxborough, Lawrence, Lowell, Martha’s Vineyard Schools and Wayland.