Juneteenth 2022: What's Open, Closed, Events Planned Around Kingstowne

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

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.

Springfield Town Center will mark the holiday by spotlighting Black-owned businesses. These include retailers like WeNoticeU, Deadstock DMV, Best Kept Secrets, and Ethiopian Twice Boutique; food from Jammin’ Island BBQ and Irresistible Cupcakes by Fatima; services from Photo Me, Sunrise Art Studio and WE ‘R’ VR, beauty services like Johann’s Beauty Bar and Allure Defined Beauty and other businesses like Never2Fly2Pray, ShopE1982, and Empower Me Vendor Shows.

Other local events in the Alexandria area include "Tell Me Your Name" Tour at Carlyle House on June 16, Juneteenth Jubilee with Culture Queen, Storytime with the Black History Museum and Gum Springs Community Day/Juneteenth on June 18 and Juneteenth Celebration with Vocalist Tomika Arnold on June 19.

Juneteenth will also coincide with the grand opening of the Freedom House Museum in Alexandria. Freedom House, a historic landmark, was once a slave jail for slave trading companies, and today tells the 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. Virginia State Del. Delores McQuinn (70th District - Richmond) will provide the keynote address, and there will be remarks by Mayor Justin Wilson, Alexandria Black History Museum Director Audrey Davis, Former Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks, Northern Virginia Urban League Board Chair Letty Maxwell, and City Poet Laureate Zeina Azzam.

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

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: Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services community centers are closed June 18 through June 20.

Courts: 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: 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: 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.

Park authority: Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site are open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19 and closed on June 20. The nature centers at E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond and Huntley Meadows will be open noon to 5 p.m. on June 19 and 20. The Riverbend Park visitor center will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 19 and noon to 5 p.m. on June 20. Frying Pan Farm Park is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitor center from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and indoor arena from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 19. The farm is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitor center from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and indoor arena from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Green Spring Gardens Horticultural House is open noon to 4:30 p.m. but the Historic House is closed on June 19 and 20.

Post offices: Closed on June 20.

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

Trash and recycling: 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.