The City of Austin has announced closures and schedule changes for various services in observance of Juneteenth on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
City recreation centers, senior centers, museums, and cultural centers will be closed. The George Washington Carver Museum will host the final day of the Stay Black and Live Juneteenth Festival starting at 12 p.m. City parks, playgrounds, tennis centers, golf courses, and pools will operate as usual. Pools that are typically closed on Wednesdays will be open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., including Springwoods, Dottie Jordan, Garrison, Martin, Patterson, Shipe, Little Stacy, West Austin, and Westenfield.
Austin Resource Recovery's curbside collections will proceed as scheduled. The Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center and administrative offices will be closed. However, Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant will remain open for yard trimmings and large brush drop-offs.
Austin Energy's Utility Customer Service Centers and Utility Contact Center will be closed. Utility bill payments can still be made online at COAutilities.com.
All Austin Public Health services at the Rutherford Lane Campus—including Environmental Health Services, Office of Vital Records, WIC clinics, Shots for Tots clinics—and Neighbor Centers will be closed.
Austin Public Library locations will also close for the day. Remote library resources remain accessible via Library.AustinTexas.gov.
The Austin Animal Center will not operate on June 19 but will reopen on June 20.
Downtown Austin Community Court's Violet KeepSafe Storage Program (VKS), Homeless Services, Court Services, and Community Services will close on June 19. Normal operations resume the following day with VKS opening at 7 a.m., Community Services at 7:30 a.m., and Homeless Services & Court Services at 8 a.m.
For inquiries about city services or information call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000. Residents can also submit service requests through the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 when news reached Galveston that the Civil War had ended and enslaved individuals were free. The day became known as “Juneteenth” with celebrations across Texas beginning in subsequent years. In recognition of this historic event, the Austin City Council established Juneteenth as an annual city holiday starting in 2021 to honor those who survived slavery and thrived as American citizens.