Juneteenth National Independence Day 2027
Juneteenth National Independence Day 2027 is on Saturday, June 19, 2027 (in 250 days). Because it falls on a Saturday, most federal employees observe the holiday on Friday, June 18, 2027. It is a U.S. federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
- Date
- Saturday, June 19, 2027
- Countdown
- In 250 days
- Federal holiday
- Yes
- Federal day off
- Friday, June 18, 2027
- Date rule
- June 19 (fixed date)
- Possible dates
- Always June 19; only the weekday changes
- Next occurrence
- Monday, June 19, 2028
Juneteenth National Independence Day dates by year
| Year | Date | Weekday | Federal day off | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | June 19, 2026 | Friday | Same day | 115 days ago |
| 2027 | June 19, 2027 | Saturday | Fri, Jun 18 | in 250 days |
| 2028 | June 19, 2028 | Monday | Same day | in 20 months |
| 2029 | June 19, 2029 | Tuesday | Same day | in 2 years |
| 2030 | June 19, 2030 | Wednesday | Same day | in 3 years |
| 2031 | June 19, 2031 | Thursday | Same day | in 4 years |
| 2032 | June 19, 2032 | Saturday | Fri, Jun 18 | in 5 years |
| 2033 | June 19, 2033 | Sunday | Mon, Jun 20 | in 6 years |
| 2034 | June 19, 2034 | Monday | Same day | in 7 years |
| 2035 | June 19, 2035 | Tuesday | Same day | in 8 years |
Dates are calculated from the rule shown above, not copied from a list, so they stay correct for any year. See everything else happening that month in the calendar for June 2027.
What Juneteenth marks
On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3, telling enslaved people in Texas that they were free. That was more than two months after General Lee's surrender at Appomattox and about two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863. The name "Juneteenth" combines "June" and "nineteenth".
From a Texas holiday to a federal holiday
Texas made Juneteenth an official state holiday in 1980, the first state to do so. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, and the first federal observance was held on Friday, June 18, 2021, because June 19 was a Saturday. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.
Date and observed day
Juneteenth is fixed on June 19, so only the weekday changes. When June 19 falls on a weekend, 5 U.S.C. § 6103(b) moves the day off for most federal employees: a Saturday holiday is observed on the Friday before, and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after.
The next such year is 2027: Juneteenth National Independence Day is on a Saturday and the federal holiday is observed on Friday, June 18, 2027.
A long campaign
Opal Lee of Fort Worth, Texas, often called the "grandmother of Juneteenth", campaigned for decades for a national holiday. In 2016, at the age of 89, she set out on a walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. to draw attention to the cause, arriving in January 2017, and she attended the signing of the 2021 law at the White House. Juneteenth is celebrated with parades, readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, family cookouts and music festivals. Red foods such as strawberry soda and red velvet cake are a common tradition, which many families link to the symbolism of resilience.
What is open and closed on Juneteenth
Federal government offices, federal courts, the Federal Reserve Banks and the U.S. Postal Service (no regular mail delivery) are closed. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq have been closed on Juneteenth since 2022. Whether state offices, schools and private businesses close depends on the state and the employer, since the federal holiday applies directly to federal employees.
Frequently asked questions about Juneteenth National Independence Day
When is Juneteenth National Independence Day 2027?
Juneteenth National Independence Day 2027 is on Saturday, June 19, 2027.
When is Juneteenth National Independence Day 2028?
Juneteenth National Independence Day 2028 is on Monday, June 19, 2028.
Why is it called Juneteenth?
The name is a blend of "June" and "nineteenth", for June 19, 1865, the day the order freeing enslaved people in Texas was announced in Galveston.
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021. The first federal observance was on June 18, 2021.
Do private employers have to give the day off?
No. The federal holiday applies to federal employees. Private employers and states decide on their own whether to close and whether to pay for the day.