{"id":366163,"date":"2026-06-18T19:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/366163\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T19:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:58:13","slug":"when-is-juneteenth-2026-who-gets-day-off-work-school-in-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/366163\/","title":{"rendered":"When is Juneteenth 2026? Who gets day off work, school in CA?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Juneteenth<\/a> is just around the corner.<\/p>\n

The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is observed nationwide each year.<\/p>\n

Who gets the day off work or school in California?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about Juneteenth in 2026:<\/p>\n

BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> Why we did this story <\/p>\n

Our community-driven series \u2014 How to California \u2014 is here to answer your questions<\/a> about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel in the Golden State. <\/p>\n

McClatchy\u2019s service journalism team, focused on helping our readers navigate daily life, works in communities across the state, including San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Sacramento. <\/p>\n

Ask us your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 by emailing howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a> or filling out a form here. <\/a><\/p>\n

Is Juneteenth a California state holiday?<\/p>\n

Juneteenth is included on California\u2019s list of state holidays<\/a> under Government Code Section 6700.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom formally recognized Juneteenth as a California state holiday and \u201cday of observance<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia is proud to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday<\/a>, honoring the centuries of struggles and triumphs that have brought us to this moment,\u201d Newsom said in a statement announcing the change.<\/p>\n

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021<\/a> after legislation was signed into law by former President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n

\"James James Jackson, founder of iSound Performing Arts, leads a song onstage during \u201cGospel Under the Stars,\u201d kicking off Sacramento\u2019s 19th annual Juneteenth festival at William Land Park on Friday, June 17, 2022, in Sacramento. Xavier Mascare\u00f1as xmascarenas@sacbee.com What does Juneteenth celebrate?<\/p>\n

Juneteenth<\/a> is \u201cone of the oldest known commemorations related to the abolition of slavery in the United States,\u201d according to the National Park Service.<\/p>\n

The federal holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, became aware of their freedom, two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.<\/p>\n

Juneteenth is celebrated<\/a> across the country with community gatherings, parades, educational events, family reunions and cultural traditions.<\/p>\n

According to the National Park Service, many celebrations also feature red-colored foods and drinks, a tradition rooted in West African cultural practices<\/a> and symbolism.<\/p>\n

\u201cJuneteenth is an important date on the timeline of slavery history in the United States,\u201d the National Park Service said.<\/p>\n

When is Juneteenth in 2026?<\/p>\n

Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19.<\/p>\n

In 2026, the holiday falls on Friday, June 19<\/a>, according to the Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac.<\/p>\n

Do California state workers get Juneteenth off?<\/p>\n

Although Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday, it is not currently a mandatory paid holiday<\/a> for most California state employees, according to the California Department of Human Resources.<\/p>\n

However, state workers can choose to observe Juneteenth<\/a> by using accrued holiday or personal leave credits \u2014 similar to other designated observance days, including Lunar New Year and Diwali<\/a>, recognized by the state.<\/p>\n

As of Tuesday, June 16, California had not designated Juneteenth as a paid state holiday<\/a> for all state employees.<\/p>\n

Which California workers get Juneteenth off?<\/p>\n

Whether California employees have Juneteenth \u2014 Friday, June 19 \u2014 as a paid day off largely depends on their employer.<\/p>\n

Federal employees get the day off<\/a> because Juneteenth is a federal holiday.<\/p>\n

Many local governments throughout California also observe the holiday<\/a>, including San Luis Obispo County<\/a>, Sacramento County<\/a> and Fresno County<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The cities of Modesto<\/a>, Merced<\/a>, Los Angeles<\/a>, San Diego<\/a> and San Francisco<\/a> also observe the state holiday.<\/p>\n

The city of Sacramento recently added Juneteenth as a paid holiday<\/a> for city employees following a proposal from Sacramento City Council members Caity Maple and Rick Jennings.<\/p>\n

\"Joseph Joseph Trotter, left, using his walker, parades down the street to the music of the New Orleans-style Element Brass Band to the Capital Stage during the second annual Juneteenth Art Walk on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Sacramento. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, private employers can choose to observe the holiday<\/a>, according to the California Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n

California law does not require employers to provide employees with paid days off<\/a> for holidays or to offer \u201choliday pay\u201d for working on holidays.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s entirely up to California employers to decide whether to offer their employees a paid or unpaid holiday for Juneteenth or any other holiday.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s closed for Juneteenth 2026?<\/p>\n

In 2026, some federal and local government offices will be closed<\/a> for Juneteenth across California.<\/p>\n

Most banks<\/a> and agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service,<\/a> will be closed.<\/p>\n

Holiday hours at privately owned businesses can vary by location, so check with your local store before heading out.<\/p>\n

Have a question about life in California?<\/p>\n

How to California \u2014 a guide to help you live, work and enjoy life in the Golden State, is here to help.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll answer your questions \u2014 big and small \u2014 about state laws, history, culture, recreation and travel.<\/p>\n

Ask your questions in the form below (can\u2019t see it? Click here<\/a>) or email howtocalifornia@mcclatchy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

The Modesto Bee<\/p>\n

Angela Rodriguez is a service journalism reporter for The Bee. She is a graduate of Sacramento State with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism. During her time there, she worked on the State Hornet covering arts and entertainment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Juneteenth is just around the corner. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-366163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}