Alexandria’s history with slavery makes Juneteenth a particularly important holiday.
June 19 recognizes the emancipation of slaves in the United States, and the date is expected to soon be a federal holiday, even though Alexandria has recognized it since 2019.
But because June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, the City is also recognizing Friday, June 18, as a holiday.
“We should all be looking at ways that we can help our community, especially in the context of a pandemic which has particularly ravaged communities of color,” said Audrey David, executive director of the Alexandria City Black History Museum, in a recent blog post, “Start by exploring the Black History Museum’s Preserving Their Names online only exhibition, released to coincide with the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, which features images of objects and digital photographs from the new Black Lives Remembered Collection.”
The Alexandria Black History Museum is also presenting a virtual performance on Saturday with the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices.
The holiday means most, but not all, City employees will have Friday off. Parking restrictions will also be lifted at legal parking spaces throughout the city, however Alexandria City Public Schools will be open.
What’s open
City-run facilities and services that will be open include:
- The Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union St.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday
- Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.) and the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center & Aquatics Facility (3210 King St.) will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other City recreation centers and the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center (5750 Sanger Ave.) will be closed
- The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St.), Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N. Royal St.), and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum (105 N. Union St., Suite 327) will all be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other City museums will be closed
- The Alexandria Transit Company DASH bus service will operate on its regular weekday schedule
- The Potomac Yard Park Interactive fountain
- The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (4101 Eisenhower Ave.) will be open June 18 and 19, by appointment only. To make an appointment, visit AlexandriaAnimals.org/Adopt-By-Appointment or call 703-746-4774.
- All emergency hotlines will be operational, including the Child Protective Services hotline at 703-746-5800; the domestic violence hotline at 703.746.4911; the emergency services for mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline at 703.746.3401; the adult protective services hotline at 1.888.832.3858 (1.888.83ADULT); and the sexual assault hotline at 703.683.7273.
Closures
The following City services are closed Friday:
- The Alexandria Health Department, including the Flora Krause Casey Health Center (1200 N. Howard St.) and the Teen Wellness Center at T.C. Williams High School
- Libraries
- The City’s impound lot
- The Alexandria Courthouse (520 King St.)
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Time flies when you’re having fun! The T.C. Williams High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion July 21-23, 2023 in Alexandria. All graduates and their adult nears and dears are welcome. Events include a Friday evening icebreaker, Saturday dinner dance, and a Sunday brunch. For more information: tcwilliams73.com, 770.789.3534.
