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McHenry County government offices and courts will be closed Thursday for Juneteenth.
“Happy Freedom Day,” McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler said during a Tuesday evening board meeting after reminding fellow members that county offices will be closed for the holiday.
The day, a combination of “June” and “Nineteenth,” commemorates when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. The National Park Service also is offering free admission to national parks, according to the news bureau.
The McHenry County Juneteenth Organization plans to mark Juneteenth on Saturday afternoon in Woodstock, with a celebration at the Center for the Arts, Music, Culture and Movement, located at 1690 S. Eastwood Drive.
Saturday’s celebration will feature performances by Stev Walker and the Artistas da Capoeira Woodstock, singer Darlene Benton, Soul Food by Chef Joanne Thomas and an Underground Railroad presentation from County Board members Pam Althoff and Gloria Van Hof, according to the McHenry County Juneteenth website.
Those interested can find more information about and register to attend the Juneteenth celebration at mchenrycountyjuneteenth.com.
It’s the third Juneteenth festival held in McHenry County, although it is the first one to not be on Woodstock Square. The first one was held in 2023 on the Woodstock Square and organized by Van Hof and Althoff.
Kane County government offices also are closed Thursday.