INDIANAPOLIS — Juneteenth is the nation's newest federal holiday. It recognizes the day when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free on June 19, 1865.
The United States celebrated its first federally-recognized Juneteenth in 2021 after President Joe Biden signed a bill creating Juneteenth National Independence Day. It became the nation's 12th federal holiday -- the first one added since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.
Here are some events taking place across central Indiana on Sunday to commemorate the holiday.
- 10 a.m. - Biketeenth in Indianapolis: A 7.5-mile bike ride will begin at 10 a.m. at Monument Circle. The ride will go throughout the city, along parts of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and end at the Madame Walker Legacy Center.
- 11 a.m. - Juneteenth Brunch at The Walker: A Sunday brunch will be held at the Madam Walker Legacy Center located at 617 Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis. Tickets can be purchased online.
- 11 a.m. - Brunch & Grooves: Father's Day/Juneteenth Celebration: Brunch & Grooves will be held at Hotel Indy. The event will be catered and have live music.
- 11 a.m. - Le Brunch En Rouge in Fishers: Indiana Pride of Color-coordinated a Juneteenth celebration designed for LGBTQ+ Black/African Americans and their allies. The celebration will feature a full menu curated by Black chefs and sourced by Black farmers.
- 12 p.m. - Juneteenth Eastside Celebration at Warren Performing Arts Center: This event will have food giveaways and Juneteenth activities, vendors and community resource providers. There will also be live music and performances.
- 12 p.m. - Juneteenth Celebration and Ribbon Cutting at Flanner House: Flanner House will celebrate numerous milestones at this Juneteenth Celebration. The event will cover the third anniversary of Cleo's Bodega & Café, the first anniversary of Ujamaa Community Bookstore, and the ribbon-cutting of Flanner House's brand new African-centered mental wellness house called Morningstar.
- 2 p.m. - Fishers Juneteenth Jubilee: The event will be held at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater. It will include food trucks, bounce houses, face painters, entertainment, and more.
- 6:20 p.m. - Juneteenth Concert with Karen Clark Sheard: Karen Clark Sheard will take the stage for the Madam Walker Legacy Center's Juneteenth Concert.
While the holiday falls on a Sunday this year, many places will be observing Juneteenth on Monday, June 20.
Here are some of the businesses that will be closed Monday.
Like with most federal holidays, the U.S. Post Office will be closed. This will be the first time the post office ceases operations for Juneteenth since it had too short of a notice to observe the holiday in 2021.
Banks:
Bank of America Corp.
JPMorgan Chase and Co.
Wells Fargo
Government Offices:
Most federal government offices will be closed on Monday, however jurisdiction falls on cities and local governments on whether they'll remain open.
Post Office:
The post office will be closed on Monday in observance.
Stock Market:
New York Stock Exchange