Festival, Other Events To Be Held For Juneteenth In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria will observe Juneteenth with a festival, concert, bus tours and more events.

The Juneteenth Festival at the Charles Houston Recreation Center will be held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. The event will celebrate African American heritage through music, storytelling, food and family fun.

Other planned events include the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Juneteenth Concert from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 at Market Square, Juneteenth Celebration at The Athenaeum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, Specialty Tours: Tell Me Your Name from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 at Carlyle House and Manumission Tour Company's Alexandria Black History Bus Tour at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. George Washington's Mount Vernon will also host Freedom Before Emancipation: Family Day for Juneteenth from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on June 19 to 21.

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 Alexandria will be closed. Many state, county and local government offices will be closed as well, including:

• City of Alexandria government offices: Closed on June 19.
• Alexandria courts: Alexandria General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Court Service Unit, Circuit Court, and the Clerk of Circuit Court will be closed on June 19.
• Alexandria City Public Schools: The school year has ended, and offices are closed on June 19.
• Animal Welfare League of Alexandria: Closed on Thursday, June 19. Animal emergencies or wildlife concerns can be reported to 703-746-4444.
• DASH Bus: DASH bus service will operate on a regular weekday schedule on June 19. DASH Administrative Offices will be closed in observance of the holiday.
• Department of Motor Vehicles: Closed on June 19.
• Health department: The Alexandria Health Department, Flora Krause Casey Health Center, and the Teen Wellness Center will be closed on June 19.
• Historic Alexandria facilities: The Alexandria Archeology Museum, the Alexandria Black History Museum, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, the Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, and the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19. The Freedom House Museum is closed for a front façade restoration.
• Hotlines: All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the Child Protective Services Hotline at 703-746-5800; the Domestic Violence Hotline at 703-746-4911; the Emergency Mental Health Services or substance use crisis hotline at 703-746-3401; the Adult Protective Services hotline at 703-746-5778 or 988; and the Sexual Assault Hotline at 703-683-7273.
• Impound lot: Closed on June 19. The city’s impound lot is closed on all weekends and observed city holidays. Fees will continue to accrue on Saturday and Sunday, but not on holidays.
• Libraries: Alexandria Library locations are closed on June 19.
• Metro: Metrorail will operate on a Saturday holiday schedule from 5 a.m. to midnight on June 19.
• Parking: The Alexandria Police Department will suspend enforcement of parking restrictions at metered spaces and residential permit parking districts on June 19. This suspension of enforcement applies only to the restrictions at legal parking spaces and does not permit parking in any normally prohibited location. Temporary no-parking signs will be enforced.
• Pools: Old Town Pool, Memorial Pool and Warwick Pool will be open 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on June 19.
• Post offices: Closed on June 19.
• Recreation and art centers: Charles Houston and Patrick Henry Recreation Centers will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 19. All other City of Alexandria recreation facilities and nature centers will be closed. The Torpedo Factory Art Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Trash and recycling: City of Alexandria residential refuse, recycling, curbside food waste, and yard waste will not be collected on June 19, and will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. The Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Recycling Center will be closed on June 19. Residents with private collection services should check with their provider for schedule changes.
• Virginia Railway Express: VRE operates on an S schedule on June 19.