Tempe Observes Juneteenth On Monday

TEMPE, AZ — In March, the City of Tempe voted unanimously to make Juneteenth —June 19 — an official annual city holiday.

The holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., will be celebrated Sunday and observed Monday in Tempe.

The holiday is on June 19th because on that date in 1865, a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended.

A Juneteenth Celebration will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday at Centerpoint Plaza, 660 S Mill Ave., in downtown Tempe. The free event will feature interactive education, live music, a Black-owned market, dance and a Black art showcase.

In observance of Juneteenth, the City of Tempe will close all administrative offices on Monday.

Here is a list of venues and services that will be affected, or not affected, on Monday:

• Emergency services: Police and Fire services will be unaffected by the holiday.
• Tempe 311: Tempe 311, the city's customer relations center, will be closed. To fill out a service request form, or download the mobile app, visit tempe.gov/311.
• Tempe customer services: Tempe Customer Services will be closed. For more information and to pay your bill online, visit tempe.gov/CustomerService.
• Tempe municipal court: The court will be closed. To make a payment or view case information, visit tempe.gov/court. Phone payments can be made by calling 480-350-8800 or 1-877-729-2687. This automated payment system is unavailable nightly from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Transportation: Bus and rail services will operate according to regular schedules. The Tempe Transit Store will be closed. Info at tempe.gov/TempeinMotion.
• Garbage and recycling: Residential garbage and recycling collection will be unaffected. The Compost/Inert Facility, 1001 N. Rio Road, and Household Products Collection Center, 1320 E. University Drive, will be closed.
• Parks and recreation: Kiwanis Recreation Center, 6111 S. All-America Way, will be open from noon to 6 p.m. and the pool will be open from 1-5 p.m; The Tennis Center will be open from noon to 6 p.m.; The Kiwanis Park Batting Range will be closed; Escalante Pool, 2150 E. Orange St., will be open from 1-5 p.m.; McClintock Pool, 1830 E. Del Rio Dr., will be open from 6-9 p.m.

The Cloud at Kiwanis Park, 5233 S. Ash Avenue; Esquer Park Splash Pad, 2407 E. McArthur Drive; Hudson Park Splash Pad, 1430 S. Cedar St.; and Jaycee Park Splash Pad, 715 W. Fifth St, all will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information on Tempe aquatics, please visit tempe.gov/pools.

• Library and cultural centers: Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road, will be closed Sunday and Monday; Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave., will be closed; Petersen House Museum, 1414 W. Southern Ave., is closed for the season; Edna Vihel Arts Center, 3340 S. Rural Road, will be closed; Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, will be closed.

Visit tempecenterforthearts.com for more information.

• Community centers: Cahill Senior Center, 715 W. Fifth St., will be open 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Escalante Multi-Generational Center, 2150 E. Orange St., North Tempe Multi-Generational Center, 1555 N. Bridalwreath St.; and Westside Multi-Generational Center, 715 W. Fifth St., all will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Pyle Adult Recreation Center, 655 E. Southern Ave., will be open for heat relief and the fitness center from noon-6 p.m.
• Golf courses: Ken McDonald Golf Course, 800 E. Divot Drive, will be open sunrise to sunset; Rolling Hills Golf Course, 1415 N. Mill Ave., will be open sunrise to sunset.