Juneteenth 2022 In Lake Elsinore, Wildomar

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — It has been celebrated for decades, but Juneteenth will ring in only its second year as a federal holiday on Monday.

Events will be held over the long weekend in Lake Elsinore and nearby areas; some workers will get the day off on Monday, and many buildings will close that day.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, got word that the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted — they were the last such people to get word of their freedom. The holiday has also been called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

Last year, Congress and President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was the first time the U.S. government had designated a new federal holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

This year, nearly 20 states are expected to close state offices and give most of their public employees time off.

The day is typically recognized on June 19, but since that falls on a Sunday this year, it will be observed on Monday to give workers a paid day off.