What's closed in Athens on July 4th? Here's your guide.

As the Athens area gears up for Independence Day, here's a quick rundown of what will be closed on Thursday:

Animal Services

• The Animal Shelter / Adoption Center will be closed on Thursday, July 4.
• No non-emergency calls will be handled. Non-emergency service calls will resume on Friday.
• Emergency services – such as an animal bite, a seriously sick or injured animal, or an animal trapped inside a living space of a home – will be provided throughout the holiday by calling 911.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/animalservices.

Leisure Services

• All parks, including Sandy Creek Park, will operate as usual.
• Facilities (including Sandy Creek Nature Center, Lyndon House Arts Center, and all community centers) will be closed on Thursday.
• Heard Park, Lay Park, Memorial Park pools, the Rocksprings Park pool and splash pad, and the Walker Park splash pad will be open 1-5:30 p.m. Note: Bishop Park pool remains closed for the 2024 season.
• Normal hours will resume for all parks and facilities on Friday.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/leisure.

Solid Waste

• No compost, garbage, recycling, or leaf and limb collections on Thursday.
• The Landfill, Materials Recycling Facility, and CHaRM Facility will be closed.
• Regular pick-up schedules will resume on Friday.
• Downtown district commercial curbside, roll cart, and dumpster garbage and recycling services will be collected as regularly scheduled.

For additional information, visit www.accgov.com/solidwaste.

Transit

• Transit offices and bus services will be out of operation on Thursday and the regular summer schedule will resume on Friday.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/transit.

Other offices

All general departmental administrative offices and facilities (City Hall, courthouse, Satula Avenue Building, Dougherty Street Governmental Building) will be closed on Thursday.

Oconee County government offices will be closed Thursday.

Curious about the mail? All post offices will be closed for retail transactions and there will be no regular residential or business mail deliveries. UPS pickup and delivery services will not be available on July 4 and store locations may be closed. Check with your local store for specific hours of operation. Most of FedEx's pickup and delivery services will not be available on July 4, and you will need to check your local store's hours of operation. Priority and critical mailing services are available all year long, including on the 4th.

Need to shop or eat out? Many chain stores have confirmed they will be open on July 4, including Kroger, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, Publix, and Food Lion. Many restaurant chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Olive Garden, and Dunkin' have also said they will be open, but hours vary depending on the location.

Contributing: USA Today reporter Gabe Hauari