JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Juneteenth, a federal holiday that marks the day the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free, is Thursday.

The name of the holiday blends the words “June” and “nineteenth” — representing how on June 19, 1865, Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, announcing that the quarter million enslaved Black people in the state were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation.

Freedom will ring through streets on the First Coast this week, as communities large and small are set to celebrate Juneteenth with observances, music and powerful tributes—transforming parks, city squares and churches into vibrant stages of remembrance and joy.

A list of celebrations locally can be found here. 

For the holiday, several places in Jacksonville will be closed. Here’s a complete list. 

• City Hall at St. James, 117 W. Duval St. 
• Ed Ball Building, 214 N. Hogan St. 
• Jake M. Godbold City Hall Annex, 407 N. Laura St. 
• Yates Building, 231 E. Forsyth St. (The Office of the Tax Collector, including all Tax Collector branch offices and The Office of the Property Appraiser) 
• Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St.  
• Supervisor of Elections main office, 105 E. Monroe St. 
• Municipal Code Compliance Division, 214 N. Hogan St.
• Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department administrative offices, 515 N. Julia St. 
• Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department offices, 214 N. Hogan St. 
• All community and senior centers and gymnasiums managed by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
• Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park Nature Center, 7000 Roosevelt Blvd. 
• Victim Services Center, 403 W. 10th St. 
• Kids Hope Alliance, 1095 A. Philip Randolph Blvd.
• Social Service Division Emergency Assistance office, 1809 Art Museum Dr.
• Right-of-Way and Stormwater Management Division administrative offices, 609 St. Johns Bluff Rd.
• Mowing and Landscape Maintenance Division administrative offices, 609 St. Johns Bluff Rd.
• Solid Waste Division administrative offices, 1031 Superior St. 
• Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 2675 Commonwealth Ave. 
• The Ritz Theatre & Museum, 829 N. Davis St. 
• Cecil Gym and Fitness Center, 13531 Lake Newman Dr.