Leon County Holiday Closures and Service Changes for Florida Emancipation Day

The following closures and service changes will occur in observance of the Florida Emancipation Day holiday on Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20, 2023. In 2020, Leon County became the first county in Florida to officially recognize Florida Emancipation Day as a County holiday.

Closed Friday, May 19

• Leon County offices
• Leon County community centers
• Leon County Animal Control
• Leon County Solid Waste and Household Hazardous Waste Center

• Leon County libraries

• Leon County Parks and Recreation facilities (parks, greenways, campgrounds, and boat landings)

Learn About Florida Emancipation Day with Library Resources
Emancipation was proclaimed in Tallahassee-Leon County on May 20, 1865, eleven days after the end of the American Civil War and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed those enslaved in Southern states. The Proclamation was read by Union General Edward M. McCook from the steps of the Knott House, effectively ending slavery in the state of Florida.

Learn something new about Florida’s history and the events that shaped our community with thematic book lists, movie watchlists, and other resources available through the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System. Visit LeonCountyFL.gov/EmancipationDay for more information.

Also, celebrate Florida Emancipation Day with Leon County Government at its Library Lecture Series tomorrow, May 16, at 6 p.m. at the Main Library in downtown Tallahassee. The event, "Emancipation Day: Where Do We Go From Here?," will feature an engaging panel discussion with local professors and historians. The Library Lecture Series is free and open to everyone, with refreshments provided. For more information, visit LeonCountyFL.gov/GetEngaged.

Additional Service Information
All LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library branches, including the downtown Main Library, will close on Friday, May 19, at 6 p.m. The downtown Main Library will resume normal operating hours on Sunday, May 21 at 1 p.m., and all other branches will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, May 23 at 11 a.m.

The Solid Waste Management Center on Apalachee Parkway will close on Thursday, May 18, at 5 p.m. and resume normal operating hours on Saturday, May 20, at 8 a.m.

Residential waste collection routes will be delayed one day for citizens whose normal pick-up day is during the holiday. Waste Pro’s holiday schedule can be found at WasteProUSA.com. For more information, call the Leon County Solid Waste Management Division at (850) 606-1800.

In the event of an animal-related emergency, service is available by calling the Consolidated Dispatch Agency at (850) 606-5800. Leon County Animal Control encourages residents to only use this service to report dangerous or aggressive dogs, sick or injured domestic animals, and animal cruelty. Injured wildlife calls will be forwarded to the St. Francis Wildlife Association at (850) 627-4151.

For more information, please contact Leon County Community and Media Relations at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.
 

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