The City of Fayette is among the communities marking Thursday, June 19 as the Juneteenth federal holiday.

At last week’s council meeting, Mayor Greg Stidham and the board of aldermen presented a proclamation recognizing the 25th annual celebration of Juneteenth in the city. City administrator Deanna Cooper…

Fayette’s celebration kicked off Wednesday night with a presentation on the Iron Riders, a group of Black U.S. Army soldiers in the 1890s who rode bicycles from Montana to Saint Louis. A banquet is scheduled for Thursday evening at Central Methodist University, and a gospel fest will take place Friday evening at the Howard County Courthouse Gazebo. A full day of events is planned for Saturday including a parade, kids’ market, car show, and poster contest. A fireworks display is scheduled for 9 p.m. at Paige-Liberty Park. This year’s Juneteenth celebration in Fayette will conclude Sunday with a community worship service at 10 a.m., following by a new barbecue cook-off competition.

As Thursday, June 19 is a federal holiday, many state, federal, and county offices will be closed. That includes license offices and drivers examination stations around Missouri. Mail delivery will not happen, and banks also have the option to close. The City of Marshall will keep their offices open Thursday and close Friday, June 20, 2025 to observe the holiday.