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What’s Open On Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017? Find A Full List Of What’s Open, What’s Closed, And Where To Find The Best Sales

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 13:09 PST, Jan 15, 2017

Trying to find out what’s open and what’s closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017 can be a bit tricky.

It’s an important day for stores, many of which are hoping to entice shoppers out with mid-winter deals. But as a federal holiday, most government offices will be closed. So for those planning to run some errands on January 16, it can be a bit confusing to know what’s open and what’s closed.

Below is a guide of what’s closing on MLK Day 2017 and what remains open.

What’s closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017

Because Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday, all government offices will be closed. That means no U.S. Postal Service trips and no waiting in line at the DMV. Local government offices will be closed down as well.

Banks are also closed on MLK Day 2017, along with the financial industry. There will be a few exceptions, and GoBankingRates compiled a list of the banks that will be open at least on limited hours on Monday.

  • Associated Bank: Traditional branches will be closed, but Rogers Park location will be open for at least part of the day.
  • Huntington Bank: Traditional branches will be closed, but Giant Eagle and Meijer branches will be open for at least part of the day.
  • IBC Bank: Some locations are open. Contact your branch for location-specific information.
  • PNC Bank: Traditional branch locations will be closed, but some supermarket locations might be open.
  • SunTrust Bank: Traditional branches will close for the holiday, but in-store locations will be open.
  • Wells Fargo: Some locations might be open. Contact your branch for location-specific information.

What’s open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017

Aside from banks and government offices, most everything else will be open and operating on normal hours on MLK Day 2017. Retailers like KMart, Walmart, and Target will be open. The same is true for restaurant chains like Chili’s, Applebees, and T.G.I. Friday’s.

There will also be plenty of attractions open for people looking to get out of the house on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017. Movie theaters will be open, and usually fairly busy given the day off from school for nearly all families. Museums are generally open as well (though there may be some exceptions, especially for smaller ones, so it’s best to call ahead).

And to honor the late Civil Rights hero, National Parks will be open and free to all, KOMO reported.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017 sales

As the first long weekend after the holiday season came to an end, Martin Luther King Jr. is also a chance for retailers to entice shoppers out from the winter doldrums with some big sales.

But offering sales on the same weekend that honors an American hero can be a bit tricky, so the retailers offering sales this weekend are careful not to use King’s name in their branding, the International Business Times noted — instead deeming them “semiannual sales” or “winter sales.”

“All national holidays do not need fake retail holidays to accompany them, particularly ones that honor the life and work of a leader of the civil rights movement,” fashion outlet Racked wrote in a post.

The International Business Times compiled a list of the best sales on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Kmart: Shoppers save an extra 10 percent when they spend $50 on bed and bath products, cookware, select kitchen appliances, home décor, and Valentine’s Day gifts. To activate the deal, they must use the code HOME10 at checkout.

Old Navy: Free shipping on orders of at least $25 with the checkout code FREESHIP. Shoppers also get $10 back for every $25 they spend through January 26.

Ralph Lauren: Select items and apparel are 40 percent off by using the code SNOW at checkout.

There may be some other smaller stores either closing or operating on limited hours on January 16. Those looking to find out if a locally-owned store or restaurant is open or closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017 should probably call ahead first.

[Featured Image by Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images]

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