Juneteenth 2022: What's Open, Closed, Events Around Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Juneteenth, a state and federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., will result in some schedule changes around Falls Church.

Juneteenth refers to the date on 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas heard about the Emancipation Proclamation. That was the last place in the U.S. to learn slaves had been freed, marking the end of slavery. Today, the holiday commemorates the freedom of African Americans with various celebrations, according to Juneteenth.com.

The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, an organization promoting African American history in Falls Church, held its largest event, the Tinner Hill Music Festival, last weekend. This weekend, there are other nearby events to check out near Falls Church, such as the McLean Community Center's Celebration of Juneteenth with The Alphabet Rockers at 3 p.m. on June 19 at McLean Central Park, 1468 Dolley Madison Boulevard.

In the Town of Vienna, Juneteenth coincides with the start of Liberty Amendments Month, which recognizes Constitutional amendments that gave rights to people previously excluded. The month-long event from June 18 to July 19 starts with the Juneteenth Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at First Baptist Church, 450 Orchard Street NW, Vienna. The event will feature musical and cultural performances, a classic car and truck show, vendors, food trucks and more.

Another observance is A Juneteenth Celebration with Thee Phantom and the Illharmonic Orchestra at Wolf Trap's Filene Center at 6 p.m. on June 19. Husband and wife duo Thee Phantom (Jeffrey McNeil) and The Phoenix (Andrea Colin-McNeil) formed The Illharmonic Orchestra, which combines hip hop with a symphonic orchestra. The Illharmonic Orchestra features some top Black orchestral musicians from around the U.S. The Juneteenth performance at Wolf Trap will feature renditions of songs by Beethoven, Donny Hathaway, Jay-Z, Rossini, Wu-Tang Clan, Mozart, Mary J. Blige, and William Grant Still.

On June 20 at 6 p.m., head to Alexandria for the grand opening of the Freedom House Museum, a historic landmark once a slave jail for slave trading companies and now a museum telling stories of free and enslaved Black people. The grand opening will be held at 6 p.m. June 20 at Shiloh Baptist Worship Center, 1401 Jamieson Avenue.

While Juneteenth falls on Sunday, June 19, the observed holiday for closures will be Monday, June 20. Below are the closures to know around Falls Church for the holiday.

City of Falls Church government offices: Closed on Monday, June 20

Fairfax County government offices: Closed on Monday, June 20

Fairfax County Public Schools: Students are on summer break, but June 20 will be a holiday for all FCPS employees.

Community centers: The Falls Church Community Center is closed on June 19 and open 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on June 20. Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services community centers are closed June 18 through June 20.

Courts: Arlington County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court will be closed June 20. The Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will be closed June 20.

Department of Motor Vehicles: All DMV customer service centers in Northern Virginia will be closed June 20.

Fairfax Connector: Fairfax Connector will have holiday weekday service on June 20.

Libraries: Mary Riley Styles Public Library is closed June 19 and 20. On June 19 and 20, all Fairfax County Public Library locations will be closed.

Metro: Metro will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight on June 19, and be open 5 a.m. to midnight on a Saturday holiday schedule on June 20. Metro has closed five Orange Line stations between Stadium-Armory and New Carrollton through Labor Day. Additional closures are planned during the summer on the Blue Line between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road. Check back for upcoming weekend Metrorail information here.

Office of Elections: The City of Falls Church Voter Registration Office is open for emergency voting from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 20. Fairfax County's Office of Elections is closed on June 20. Early voting for the 8th congressional district primary election will end June 18. The primary election is scheduled for June 21.

Post offices: Closed on June 20.

Recreation centers: Open regular hours on June 19 and 20.

Trash and recycling: City of Falls Church collections happen on Wednesdays. For county collection customers, regular trash and recycling collection will happen on June 20. If you have private collection, contact your hauler.

Trash and recycling centers: The Recycling and Disposal Centers at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) and the I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road) are open regular hours on June 20.