Martin Luther King Day: What’s open, what’s closed, is there trash pickup

Does the mail run on MLK Day 2021? Are banks open? Is the MVC open? What is NJ Transit's schedule? The complete guide to Monday, Jan. 18 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021. (AP Photo/File)AP

The life and legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated Monday.

MLK Day 2021 is on Monday, Jan. 18.

It’s a day to honor the activist and minister Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in 1968.

It’s a federal holiday, which means area public schools, public libraries, banks, post offices and government offices are closed.

But there are a ton of Day of Service events around the D.C. area. What about Banks, UPS, mail delivery, stock markets, stores, malls, supermarkets?

U.S. stock markets and most banks will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Unlike with some other federal holidays, national retailers and restaurant chains will be open. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic, some businesses continue to operate with reduced hours and some locations may be closed.

While Costco is closed seven days each year – including New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas – the wholesale club is open Monday.

Because of COVID-19, scores of marches, parades and other events held to mark the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. have been canceled. Many events have moved online, offered virtually through Zoom or other apps – but organizers hope public enthusiasm will remain high given the extra resonance that the holiday carries in a time of continuing social unrest.

There are still fees for camping, transportation, activities and tours.

It’s a day to honor the activist and minister Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed in 1986 and wasn’t celebrated in every state until 2000. The Congressional Black Caucus collected six million signatures to help it become a federal holiday.

Here is everything you need to know about what’s open and what’s closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021:

Is there mail delivery on MLK Day 2021? Does the mail run on MLK Day? There will be no mail delivery on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. FedEx and UPS will be delivering, however. FedEx Express and FedEx SmartPost will be on a modified service schedule. UPS operates on a normal schedule. Is the post office open on MLK Day 2021? No. United States Postal Service offices will be closed. Are banks open on MLK Day 2021? No. The following banks are scheduled to be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Bank of America Capital One Bank Chase Citibank PNC Bank Santander Bank Wells Fargo TD Bank Are the stock markets open on MLK Day 2021? No. Stock markets will be closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Nasdaq trading and bond markets will also be closed. What stores are open on MLK Day 2021? Most, if not all, stores will operate as usual on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are just some of the more-known stores that will be open with regular hours, according to HolidayShoppingHours.com: Apple (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) Barnes and Noble (varies by store) Bass Pro Shops (10 p.m. - 8 p.m) Bed Bath & Beyond (9 a.m. - 8 p.m.) Best Buy (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) BJ’s Wholesale Club (9 a.m. - 10 p.m.) Boscov’s (10 a.m. - 8 p.m.) CVS (varies by store) Dick’s Sporting Goods (9 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Dollar Tree (varies by store) Gap (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) Hobby Lobby (9 a.m. - 8 p.m.) Home Depot (6 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Ikea (10 a.m. - 9 p.m.) JCPenney (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) Kohl’s (10 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Lowe’s (6 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Macy’s (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.) Marshalls (9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Michaels (9 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Nordstrom (varies by store) Office Depot (varies by store) Old Navy (varies by store) Petco (10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.) PetSmart (9 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Rite Aid (varies by store) Target (8 a.m. - 10 p.m.) T.J. Maxx (9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Ulta (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.) Walgreens (varies by store) Walmart (7 a.m. - 11 p.m.) Are there any online shopping sales during MLK Day 2021? Yes, there are tons of deals being offered online as many retailers are still making way for new inventory in 2021. Here are just a few of the more popular ones out there right now: Walmart’s “End-of-Year” Clearance Kohl’s clearance deals for up to 70% off Coach bags and accessories for up to 70% off Wayfair “Closeout Deals” for up to 80% off Lululemon’s post-holiday specials Macy’s clearance deals for up to 60% off Adidas’ “End of Season Sale” Will grocery stores be open on MLK Day 2021? Most supermarkets will be open. Shoppers should ultimately check with their local supermarket for specific information. The following major supermarkets will be open with regular hours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Acme (7 a.m. - 11 p.m.) Aldi (9 a.m. - 8 p.m.) BJ’s Wholesale Club (9 a.m. - 10 p.m.) Costco (10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.) Foodtown (varies by store) Lidl (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.) ShopRite (varies by store) Stop & Shop (6 a.m. - midnight) Target (8 a.m. - 10 p.m.) Trader Joe’s (9 a.m.- 9 p.m.) Walmart (7 a.m. - 11 p.m.) Wegmans (7 a.m. - midnight) Whole Foods (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.) Are restaurants open on MLK Day 2021? Is McDonald’s open? Is Starbucks open? Most chain restaurants should be open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including McDonald’s and Starbucks, according to HolidayShoppingHours.com. For local, non-chain restaurants, patrons should ultimately check with the restaurant for specific information. Are malls open on MLK Day 2021? All malls should be open, along with most major shopping centers, according to HolidayShoppingHours.com. Are New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission locations open on MLK Day 2021? Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) offices will not be open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Online processing of some documents are available on Motor Vehicle Commission’s website. Additionally, all New Jersey state offices and courts will be closed. Does NJ Transit, PATH and SEPTA operate on a normal schedule? NJ Transit will operate on either a weekday, Saturday or holiday schedule depending on your route. PATH will operate on a Saturday schedule, while SEPTA will operate on a modified weekday schedule. For NJ Transit, riders should use NJ Transit’s online trip planner to double-check arrival and departure times. When is the next federal holiday? The next federal holiday is Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 15.

Traffic and transit Martin Luther King Day 2021

Metrorail: Trains will run from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. operating on Saturday service frequencies, every 12-15 minutes on the Red Line and every 15-20 minutes on all other lines.

DC Circulator: Regular service, but routes will be affected by street closures for the inauguration; the DC Circulator National Mall Route is suspended until 5 a.m. on Jan. 25.

Capital Bikeshare: Stations on Capitol Hill and around the White House are closed.

VRE: No service.

MARC: Enhanced R schedule on all three lines; Brunswick Line trains 872 and 877 will not operate.

Montgomery County Ride On: Weekday schedule.

MTA Maryland Commuter: No service; the #201 will operate the odd numbered trips on the weekend/holiday schedule.

OmniRide: No service.

Regional Transportation Agency: Regular weekday schedule.

Prince George’s County TheBus: Weekday schedule, except Route 51 service to the Equestrian Center/Courthouse.

Alexandria DASH bus: Saturday service schedule.

Arlington County ART bus: The ART 41, 42, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87 will operate on Saturday schedules; otherwise no service.

Fairfax Connector: Holiday weekday service; all routes operate regular weekday service except: Routes 231, 232, 335, 393, 394, 395, 396 422, 432, 461, 494, 495, 556, 585, 599, 624, 634, 697, 698, 699, 722, 724 and 985, which will not operate at all. Route 980 will run every 12-15 minutes instead of every 6-8 minutes.

Loudoun County Transit: No commuter buses; no Metro Connection Bus services; local fixed route bus services on a regular schedule; no Loudoun County Courthouse Shuttle.

DC

All government offices are closed.

D.C.’s COVID-19 public testing sites and call center are closed.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is closed.

Parking meters won’t be enforced. Residential parking and rush hour lane restrictions won’t be enforced.

Trash and recycling collections will “slide” to the next day for the remainder of the week into Saturday. For example, households that normally receive trash/recycling collections on Monday will be serviced Tuesday.

Recreation, community and aquatic centers will be closed. But parks, playgrounds, athletic courts and fields will be open, though outdoor gatherings by more than 25 people remain prohibited.

The District’s Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center will be operating.

Maryland

Frederick County:

All government offices are closed.

While the Health Department will be closed, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing will continue as usual.

Howard County:

All government offices are closed.

All parking regulations and fees will be in effect.

The landfill is open; regular trash, recycling, food scraps and yard trim curbside collection.

County parks, the Gary J. Arthur, North Laurel and Roger Carter Community Centers, Cedar Lane and Schooley Mill Activity Rooms and the Meadowbrook Athletic Complex will be open.

The Robinson Nature Center, Ellicott City B&O Station Museum, Kiwanis-Wallas Hall, Belmont Manor & Historic Park, Patapsco Female Institute, and County’s Restored Ellicott City Colored School will be closed.

All historic sites in Ellicott City, except the B&O Ellicott City Station Museum, are closed for weekend tours until the first weekend in May.

All 50+ centers are closed.

Montgomery County:

All government offices are closed.

There is free parking at on-street parking meters and county parking garages.

There will be no county-provided recycling or trash collection. Trash will be picked up the following day.

County recreation centers are closed.

Prince George’s County:

All government offices are closed.

No trash collection in county-contracted areas. No recycling collection. No bulky trash pickups. No residential yard trim collections.

Community and art centers are closed. The indoor pool complex is open, while the outdoor pool complex is closed. Senior activity centers are closed. Sports facilities and regional parks are open. Historic sites are closed.

Virginia

Alexandria:

All government offices are closed.

The Alexandria Police Department will suspend enforcement of parking restrictions at metered spaces, residential permit parking districts and other areas with signed parking time limits on Monday and Wednesday.

The state DMV office at 2681 Mill Road will be open by appointment only

due to the COVID-19 pandemic; no walk-in services.

Trash and recycling won’t be collected. Collection services will be delayed by one day: Monday’s collection will be on Tuesday; Tuesday’s collection will be on Wednesday; Wednesday’s collection will be on Thursday; and Thursday’s collection will be on Friday.

The Chinquapin Park Recreation Center & Aquatics Facility and the Charles Houston and Patrick Henry Recreation Centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other City recreation and nature centers will be closed.

The Animal Welfare League will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only.

Arlington County:

All government offices are closed.

Parking meters won’t be enforced.

All DMV offices are closed.

Trash, recycling and yard-waste collection on curbside routes operates as normal.

Parks and outdoor amenities are open with restrictions.

Fairfax County:

All government offices are closed.

Check with your trash and recycling collector directly about any service changes — about 90% of residents and businesses in Fairfax County have their trash picked up by private companies.

Park and recreation center hours/closures vary by location. Find more information on the parks authority website.

Loudoun County:

All government offices are closed.

Trash and recycling in Leesburg will go on as normal.

Trash pickup schedule normal for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The Dearborn Administrative Center, the 19th District Court, and all branches of the Dearborn Public Library will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Ford Community and Performing Arts Center (The Center) will be open from 5:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Residents are reminded that The Center is currently open for members only, and amenities are limited due to public health concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Curbside trash and recycling pickup in the city will not be affected by the holiday, and will operate as normally scheduled during the week of Jan. 18-22.

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