Falls Church Openings, Closings For MLK Day, Inauguration 2021
Falls Church has a double holiday week coming up. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday that city government usually closes for, but the county also designates Inauguration Day as a holiday when it occurs every four years.
The City of Falls Church will close government buildings to the public from Jan. 18 to 20 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday and preparation for Inauguration Day.
"Closing City facilities to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday is out of an abundance of caution for the Inauguration Day activities," said Police Chief Mary Gavin in a statement. "Doing so allows our officers to prepare and react to events within the City and the region, if a response is needed."
Inauguration Day will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 20. President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in at noon, but visitors are discouraged from visiting DC like in past years. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a joint statement urging Americans to avoid traveling to DC due to the COVID-19 pandemic and potential of violence after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Nevertheless, Jan. 20 is a holiday for Falls Church government as well as Falls Church City Public Schools.
King's birthday is Jan. 15, but the federal holiday falls on the third Monday of January. This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 18. Since the holiday is considered a day of service, Volunteer Fairfax is hosting a Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend of Service. The National Park Service also holds its first fee-free day at Great Falls Park and other nationals parks with entrance fees.
Below are the openings and closings to know for Monday, Jan. 18 and Wednesday, Jan. 20 around Falls Church.
City of Falls Church government offices: Closed from Jan. 18 to 20.
Fairfax County government offices: Closed on Jan. 18 and 20.
Courts: The Fairfax County General District Court, Circuit Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will be closed on Jan. 18. Arlington County courts are closed Jan. 18 to 20.
Falls Church City Public Schools: Students so not have class Jan. 18 to 20. Jan. 19 is a teacher work day.
Fairfax County Public Schools: The school district is closed on Jan. 18 and 20.
Animal shelter: Due to the pandemic, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter's services are available by appointment only.
Community centers: The Falls Church Community Center is closed from Jan. 18 to 20 but will be available for scheduled programs on Jan. 18. All Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services centers require advance registrations.
Department of Motor Vehicles: The state DMV offices are by appointment only; walk-in services are not available at this time.
Libraries: Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s curbside service will be closed from Jan. 17 to 20. All Fairfax County Library branches are open for curbside services from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and virtual services. The library system is closed on Jan. 18 and 20.
Metro: Metro announced service changes for inauguration week from Friday, Jan. 15 through Thursday, Jan. 21. Metro will close 13 stations inside the security perimeter, including 11 stations on Friday and two on Saturday. Closed stations from Jan. 15 to 21 are: Farragut North, Judiciary Square, Union Station, Archives, Arlington Cemetery, Farragut West, McPherson Square, Federal Center SW, Capitol South, Smithsonian and Federal Triangle. Stations closed from Jan. 16 to 21 are Metro Center and Gallery Place. Buses will operate on normal weekday and weekend schedules, except for Inauguration Day. On Jan. 20, buses will run on a Saturday schedule.
Post offices: Closed on Jan. 18.
Recreation centers (Fairfax County): Open regular hours on Jan. 18.
Trash and recycling collection: City of Falls Church collection will happen as scheduled on Jan. 20. For county collection customers, regular trash and recycling collection will happen on Jan. 18 and 20. If you have private collection, contact your hauler. Christmas trees will be collected from Jan. 11 to 22, and all decorations must be removed before disposal.
Trash and recycling centers: The Recycling and Disposal Centers at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) and the I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road) are open on Jan. 18 and 20.
This article originally appeared on the Falls Church Patch
