The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate America’s freedom from being ruled by the British. It's the day that the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence.
For many Americans they celebrate with having the day off work, attend a parade, followed by a barbecue and ending the day with watching fireworks. The entire day is set around the celebration with family, friends, food, and fire. The fire for the grill and the fire for the fireworks.
This is a federal holiday and as such many offices are closed. Post offices will be closed, and no mail will be delivered on this day. UPS (UPS) will also be closed, and some FedEx (FEDEX) operations will remain open with hours varying. Check with your local office before heading over. Any non-essential government offices will be closed.
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Check Your Local Retail Store Before Going
Your local Costco (COST) may be closed during the July 4th holiday. Go online to costco.com to see their holiday closures. The majority of Target (TGT) and Walmart (WMT) stores will be open, but their hours may vary for the holiday. Be sure to get there early to get what you need for your picnic or barbecue as there might be a run on the good hotdog buns.
Most banks will be closed, though in rare instances, some locations may have shortened hours on Monday. Check with your local bank before heading over for any transactions that would need to be handled with staff. ATMs should be open and functioning for cash needs.
July 4 falls on a Monday so many religious organizations may be closed, and the hours may vary. With the holiday falling on a Monday means a lot of businesses may have just taken a long weekend, even when they are normally open during the holiday. If you have business to conduct on Monday, make the phone call first, if they don't answer assume they are closed for the day.
What is Open on the Fourth of July?
To get the day started off right, Starbucks (SBUX) and Dunkin' (DNKN) will be open to get you fueled up for your full day of activities (although Dunkin' is franchisee-owned, so hours and openings may vary).
The majority of retailers will still be open on the Fourth of July and many will be paying holiday pay for those employees to spend their day working. Stores expected to be open are Home Depot (HD), Kohl's (KSS), CVS (CVS), Rite Aid (RAD), Walgreens (WBA), Sam’s Club, Walmart and Target. Many retailers will be running a Fourth of July sale.
Public Transportation will be up and running during the holiday, but check for any change in hours before making your travel plans.
If the grill catches fire or the picnic gets rained out, McDonalds (MCD), Yum! Brands' (YUM) Taco Bell and Wendy’s (WEN) are all expected to be open on Monday. Some fast-food restaurants might be running on drive-thru only because of short staffing, but the majority of chain restaurants will be open on Monday as well.
Wherever the holiday takes you, check for retail and restaurant closures or abbreviated hours and be safe.
