MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) — In observance of Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, City Hall and most Murfreesboro government offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Juneteenth commemorates the day (June 19, 1865) Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming the end of slavery in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation. Though the Civil War had ended two months earlier, the news had not yet reached Texas, making Juneteenth a symbol of delayed freedom.

Juneteenth Celebration at Bradley Academy

Juneteenth will take place at the Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center at 415 S. Academy Street in Murfreesboro. The public is invited to participate on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 10:00AM - 4:00PM. Recognized as the longest-running African American holiday, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and was officially designated a city holiday in Murfreesboro in 2025.

FREE community events at the Bradley Academy Event: 

• A Kid’s Zone with games and activities

• Food vendors

• Local artists

• Live music and dance performances

Several city services and facilities will observe schedule changes or closures:

• Murfreesboro Transit will suspend all public transportation service for the day.

• St. Clair Street Senior Center, Patterson Park Community Center, and Sports*Com will all be closed on June 19.

• Boro Beach, located at Sports*Com, will remain open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Adams Tennis Complex and Old Fort Golf Course, including the 6-hole Bloomfield Links, will remain open for regular hours.

Local Juneteenth Closures

The Solid Waste Department will be closed on Juneteenth. As a result, Thursday garbage collection will shift to Friday, June 20. Residents are encouraged to place their bins at the curb by 6 a.m. on Friday for pickup.

City Services Resume Friday

City offices and services will resume normal operations on Friday, June 20, with standard business hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more details about Juneteenth events and facility hours, visit murfreesboroparks.com or the City of Murfreesboro’s official website.