Holiday closures for Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Schools, banks, and some businesses will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14, in observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Students from Burnet, Marble Falls, and Llano school districts won’t have classes, and bank buildings across the Highland Lakes will be closed for the federal holiday.
Some businesses might also close; check ahead before you go.
For those needing to do government business, Burnet and Llano county offices will be closed along with the city of Burnet. Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay city offices will remain open.
HOLIDAY HISTORY
Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1937. It was established to honor 15th century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who came to the Bahamas in 1492. However, in recent years, many have advocated for the day to be repurposed as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, citing Columbus’ violent treatment of native peoples upon his arrival in the Americas.
In 2023, the Biden administration issued a proclamation for the third consecutive year recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which now shares a date with Columbus Day as a federally recognized commemoration.
While Columbus Day remains a federal holiday, a growing number of states and cities have chosen to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The movement began in 1989, with South Dakota the first state to recognize it followed by cities in California. Now, more than a dozen states celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Texas recognizes the second week in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Week.