Tippecanoe County, Lafayette, West Lafayette city offices closed for Juneteenth

Deanna Watson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·1 min read
Four-year-old Malena Nelson dances during a performance by Kyle Bledsoe on June 19, 2021, at Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette, Ind. Malana's parents brought her to the celebration to enjoy the first year of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Four-year-old Malena Nelson dances during a performance by Kyle Bledsoe on June 19, 2021, at Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette, Ind. Malana's parents brought her to the celebration to enjoy the first year of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Offices for both Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County will be closed Monday in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of slaves, originating in Galveston on June 19, 1865, when Texas became the last state of the Confederacy to free slaves. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.

On Saturday, the Juneteenth Celebration-Greater Lafayette celebration will be held from 12-4 p.m. at Columbian Park in Lafayette. The free event is presented by Baptist Student Foundation at Purdue, and will include food, entertainment and community.

Juneteenth is Sunday: What's the significance behind the federal holiday?

More: Attacks against teaching the history of enslaved Africans and their descendants in America

Juneteenth was first observed as a national holiday in June 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

As with other federal holidays such as Veterans Day, federal government buildings and government offices will be closed on Monday. That includes the U.S. Postal Service. Banks typically close on federal holidays as well.

In West Lafayette, yard waste collection is canceled for Monday. The West Lafayette Street Department will also be closed.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County offices closed for Juneteenth