West Wake News

• Most staffed facilities, including community centers and the Citizen's Convenience Center, will be closed on June 19 in commemoration of Juneteenth.

• All parks, greenways and fields remain open, along with most outdoor recreation facilities.  

• Cary’s annual Juneteenth celebration includes virtual and in-person events; details available at carync.gov/Juneteenth.

CARY, N.C. – The Town of Cary will observe Juneteenth as an official Town holiday on Monday, June 19, closing most staffed facilities and pausing some services.  

Service Changes

For the week of June 19, regular curbside service will move one day forward (Tues.-Fri.). On June 19, the Citizen's Convenience Center will be closed and Cary will not be scheduling any special waste collections. 

 GoCary will offer regular weekday service on all fixed and door-to-door routes. The following indoor recreation facilities will be closed on Monday, June 19:

• Middle Creek, Herbert C. Young, the Hive, and Bond Park Community Centers 

• Senior Center 

• Stevens Nature Center  

• The Cary Theater 

• Cary Arts Center  

• Page-Walker Arts & History Center  

All parks, greenways, and fields remain open, along with most outdoor recreation facilities.  

• Fields at WakeMed Soccer Park, Thomas Brooks Park, Middle Creek and Mills Park will have normal rentals. Rental times vary by facility. 

• Cary Action Sports will be open for regular sessions from 1:30-3:30 p.m., 4-6 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

• Cary Tennis Park courts will be open normal hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The clubhouse is open from 8-5 p.m. 

• Bond Park Boathouse will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

About Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, when, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the previously enslaved people were now free. This news came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s January 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which proclaimed freedom from slavery. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and achievement, a day of liberation, resilience, and fortitude. 

Cary hosted its inaugural Juneteenth Celebration in 2019, which started as an idea from a group of citizens and blossomed into a memorable weekend full of events. The adoption of Juneteenth as a paid holiday for employees demonstrates Cary’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the community we serve and where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to bring their full authentic selves to work. It is also a day to bring attention to an essential part of U.S. history and the continuing work we all must do for social and racial justice and equity. 

Juneteenth Activities

Cary’s annual Juneteenth celebration kicks off Thursday, June 15 with Rhythm & Rhyme: A Celebration of Liberty, an evening of Spoken Work & Music featuring poetry of the Piedmont Laureate, author, professor & writer Danas Ahanu.  Then get your groove on with music by Raleigh-Durham's own NiiTO.  A band that has blended its unique sound to blur the lines between R&B, Jazz, Soul, Funk & Pop. It will be a night of thought-provoking fun as Mistress of Ceremonies, Brandi Q. Hancock, brings to the stage poet Wild Perfection and songstress Genesis Boggs! Tickets are available at the Cary Box Office. 

Starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday, the columns at the Cary Arts Center in Downtown Cary will be illuminated in red, yellow, and green to honor the heritage and meaning of the day.  

And on Saturday, we’ll celebrate freedom in words and music with our Celebrate Freedom event at Bond Park’s Sertoma Amphitheatre from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. A full list of speakers and performers, along with additional event details, can be found at carync.gov/Juneteenth. 

Contact  

If you have specific questions about Town services or operations, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 

outside Town limits, or email 311@carync.gov.

Resources  

Juneteenth 
Town Holidays 
Facilities 
GoCary 
Garbage, Recycling and Yard Waste

  Original source can be found here