As Juneteenth approaches, residents in Houston and the nation prepare to observe the holiday that has come to symbolize the end of slavery in the United States. This year, various businesses and government agencies will adjust their operations in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Federal Reserve System will be recognizing Juneteenth, resulting in closure of banks that follow the reserve's holiday schedule, such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo. While ATMs will stay operational, post office services will shut down for the day, with USPS, UPS, and FedEx varying in offerings. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, however, will keep its doors open.

Government offices typically close for federal holidays, and Juneteenth is no exception. While most federal offices will not operate, localities will determine their own schedules. The stock market, including NYSE and Nasdaq, will also take a day off, aligning with the market's protocol on observed holidays.

Those needing to do some shopping still have options, as national retailers and pharmacies like Kroger, Walmart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens plan to operate normally, as KHOU reported. Costco, too, will keep its doors open for shoppers. METRO services in Houston will run without interruption, though certain customer services will not be available.

The observance of Juneteenth commemorates a June 19 in 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to announce an end to slavery, per the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had declared the legal end of slavery two years prior, it wasn't enforceable in Confederate territories until the conclusion of the Civil War. Juneteenth, now a recognized federal holiday since 2021, continues to honor this pivotal moment in American history.