Indigenous Peoples Day is Monday, what is open, closed in El Paso, Las Cruces

Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
·2 min read
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Monday is Indigenous Peoples Day, which is a federal holiday. The Biden administration issued a proclamation declaring the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day for the second year in 2022.

The commemoration of Native American history and culture is now federally recognized alongside Columbus Day, which has been historically observed on the same day.

The effort to refocus Columbus Day is a criticism of Christopher Columbus and other explorers who caused violence and slavery upon their journey to the Americas.

The Tigua Youth Dancers performed at the Poppies Fest in March 2023.
The Tigua Youth Dancers performed at the Poppies Fest in March 2023.

What is closed on Indigenous Peoples Day

The city and county of El Paso offices will be closed.

U.S. Post Office will be closed. And the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail or packages.

FedEx offices, however, will operate with ground, delivery and express, as usual. UPS store locations will also be open, offering pickup or delivery services.

Will El Paso schools and libraries be open?

Socorro ISD, Ysleta ISD and El Paso ISD are on fall break or off for the holiday.

University of Texas at El Paso will have regular classes.

El Paso Community College will have regular classes.

El Paso libraries will be open during regular hours.

The University of Texas at El Paso campus will be open with regular classes on Indigenous Peoples Day.
The University of Texas at El Paso campus will be open with regular classes on Indigenous Peoples Day.

Will banks be open, buses operating?

Banks will be closed. Federal banks will be closed.

Sun Metro buses will run on a regular schedule on Monday.

Will major stores be closed?

Supermarkets and most drug stores are open. Same goes for Target, Starbucks and other chain restaurants.

Las Cruces city offices closed on Indigenous Peoples Day

In observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, most city of Las Cruces offices will be closed Monday. However, all emergency services, including police and fire will operate as usual.

Las Cruces city offices that will be open

  • Solid waste collection will occur for residential and commercial customers who are scheduled for that service on Monday, Oct. 9.

  • The Foothills Landfill, 555 S. Sonoma Ranch Blvd., will operate its usual hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  • RoadRUNNER Transit and Dial-A-Ride will operate at their usual hours. All city transit facilities will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

  • The South Central Solid Waste Transfer Station, 2865 W. Amador Ave., and the Corralitos Landfill will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Dona Ana County collection will be in operation from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, mcortes@elpasotimes.com and @EPTMaria on Twitter. USAToday contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What's open, closed on Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 in El Paso