Barnstable Juneteenth 2025: Events, Closures And What To Know

BARNSTABLE, MA — Juneteenth observances in Barnstable this year will include a flag raising ceremony and commemoration.

The Town of Barnstable, Amplify POC, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, the Cape Cod Branch of the NAACP and the People of Action are collaborating on the Thursday events, scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the outdoor courtyard at the JFK Hyannis Museum, located at 397 Main St.

For more information about the event, click here.

The Thursday, June 19, federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when word finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended, and they were free. It was more than two months after the end of the Civil War, and about two and one-half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation,

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the on United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making it a federal holiday, the first since the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

Some towns and cities are scaling back Juneteenth celebrations — or canceling them altogether — due to concerns about violating the Trump administration’s executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Trump’s executive orders don’t cancel the federal holiday — Congress created it and only Congress can repeal it — but civil rights groups contend the DEI bans are having a chilling effect on Juneteenth. They argue the bans undermine the principles of equality and equal opportunity that Juneteenth represents.

Organizers of some events across the country say they’re having trouble landing their usual corporate sponsorships from businesses and organizations working to comply with DEI executive orders. Many of these companies have contracts directly with the government or receive indirect federal funding through contracts with nonprofits that provide services, such as workplace diversity training. Or, they may simply have shifted priorities due to the politics of DEI.

• Related: How DEI Bans Are Affecting 2025 Juneteenth Celebrations

Because Juneteenth is an official U.S. holiday, banks, federal offices and post offices in Massachusetts will be closed.

Barnstable’s town offices will be closed on Thursday in observance of the holiday.

The town's Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division will also be closed. Trash and recycling services will resume on a normal schedule Friday.