Winnebago County Offices, 17th Circuit Courts closed in observance of Juneteenth federal holiday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 15, 2023

Contact: Danielle Grindle

Phone: (815) 319-4233

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Winnebago County Offices, 17^th Circuit Courts closed in observance of Juneteenth federal holiday

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. – Winnebago County celebrates "Juneteenth" or National Freedom Day to commemorate the traditional observance of the end of slavery in the United States of America. All Winnebago County Government Offices and 17^th Judicial Circuit Court facilities are closed on Monday, June 19, 2023 in observance of the federal holiday.

Short for June Nineteenth, "Juneteenth" marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops' arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Winnebago County is proud to celebrate the holiday this year as a way to recognize the achievements and contributions Black Americans have made and continue to make in Winnebago County and across our Nation.

In observance of the holiday, the Governor's Office has also ordered that U.S. and Illinois flags outside government entities be lowered to half-staff from Sunrise Sunday, June 18 until Sunset on Monday, June 19, 2023.