Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, is also celebrated in some communities as Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the earliest inhabitants. This year the date is Monday, October 9th.
Here’s what’s open and closed that day and what travelers need to be aware of.
- read more: Goodbye, Columbus. Bill proposed establishing Aboriginal Day in Massachusetts.
government
Local Government Offices: Closed
State offices: closed
Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Registry: Closed
Federal offices, including the U.S. District Courts in Springfield, Worcester, and Boston: closure
Massachusetts State Parks: Open
Springfield Armory National Historic Site: Closed every Monday
Cape Cod National Seashore: Open
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area: Open
post office: closure. On October 9, retail services will be unavailable and there will be no street delivery of mail. Retail and delivery services will resume full service on Tuesday, October 10.
finance
stock market: Open
bank: Most banks are closed on Columbus Day. But please check with your branch to make sure.
Groceries and retail
Liquor Stores: Opening in Massachusetts and Connecticut
Big Y: All Big Y supermarkets will be open on Monday.
Stations and shops: All stations and shops will be open as normal on Monday.
Arnolds Meats: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
90 Meat Outlet: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Holyoke Mall: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Hadley Hampshire Mall: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Eastfield Mall, Springfield: Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lee Premium Outlets: Discount store on Route 20, off Exit 2 of the Massachusetts Turnpike, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Aldi: Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
atkins farm country market, Amherst: Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Randall’s Farm, Ludlow: Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
trader joe’s: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Whole Foods Market: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
shopping malls near massachusetts
- Auburn Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Burlington Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Hyannis Cape Cod Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Boston Copley Place Mall: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Boston Faneuil Hall Market: Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Natick Mall: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Prudential Center Boston: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough: 11am to 8pm
Sightseeing and transportation
peter pan bus route
Springfield-based Peter Pan Bus Company is warning that traffic will be heavy this weekend and passengers may be delayed. This especially applies to passengers traveling to the Boston area.
Peter Pan advises travelers to take an earlier bus if their trip involves connecting services, traveling to the airport or time-sensitive plans. A series of timetable changes are outlined on the bus company’s website.
MBTA
During Columbus Day, subways, buses and RIDEs will operate on Saturday schedules, while commuter rail and ferries will operate normally. The CharlieCard store is closed. Anyone traveling on the MBTA should check the schedule: www.mbta.com/holidays.
PVTA
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority buses serving Springfield and Northampton operate on a Sunday schedule.
UMass Amherst services will have reduced or canceled bus service Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day. Please visit the PVTA website for more details.
world trade association
The Worcester Regional Transit Authority operates a Saturday schedule on Columbus Day.
CTrail Hartford Line
All CTrail Hartford Line and Amtrak trains will operate on regular schedules during Columbus Day weekend. No special adjustments will be made. The full schedule can be viewed here.
Travelers can check the website for any alerts.
Airport
Bradley International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport and Worcester Regional Airport are all warning travelers to watch for crowds and prepare for delays.
transportation
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is warning motorists that Columbus Day weekend is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Travelers are encouraged to drive during off-peak hours whenever possible, utilize the appropriate technology tools to make informed decisions, and consider using mass transit to reach their destinations.
construction shutdown
Scheduled construction outside the fixed work area will cease starting at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, October 6. Scheduled roadworks will resume at 5am on Tuesday 10 October.
Drivers can call 511 and choose a route for immediate information. Motorists can also visit Mass511.com, a website that provides up-to-date traffic information, and follow MassDOT Xformerly known as Twitter, or call 511 for real-time information.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes
High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on Interstate 93 between Boston and Quincy will be closed Monday. Additional “swing lanes” on southbound Route 1A at the Sumner Tunnel will not be deployed.
summer tunnel
The Boston Sumner Tunnel reopened on September 1st. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said there will be no rotation lanes deployed throughout the day Monday and there is no scheduled road construction.
- read more: Aboriginal family wears red to commemorate missing loved ones
leaf
We are starting to see the peak of fall foliage in parts of Massachusetts and other parts of New England.
