Today is Columbus Day, a federal holiday commemorating the arrival of the European explorer Christopher Columbus in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492.
Columbus Day, Oct. 12, was made a federal holiday by an act of Congress in 1934. In 1971, with the federal Monday Holiday Act, the observance of the holiday was changed to the second Monday in October.
Here’s what’s closed today:
- all government offices
- schools
- the post office (There is no mail delivery, except Express Mail.)
- most banks
- public libraries
LIRR and Suffolk County buses follow a regular weekday schedule.
What’s open:
- New York Stock Exchange
Also open today are the farm stands, corn mazes and wineries that draw tourists to the North Fork by the thousands, causing traffic jams across the region. The remnants of Tropical Storm Nate, which is expected to bring rain and some thunderstorms to the area today, may put a damper on the last day of the three-day holiday weekend.
