What Iowa stores are open on Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Which businesses are open and closed this Indigenous Peoples’ and Columbus Day? We’ve got you covered.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designated Columbus Day a national holiday in 1934, according to the Library of Congress. Now a federal holiday, the second Monday of October has been celebrated as Columbus Day since 1971.

However, the day is more widely becoming known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day as people push for the holiday to have a rebrand because of the holiday’s namesake, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, and the bloodshed he left behind in North America.

Is Columbus Day still a federal holiday?

Despite the inconsistency and the controversy, the federal holiday is still recognized. Columbus Day is one of 11 federal holidays, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Is Indigenous Peoples’ Day an official holiday?

It depends on where you live.

Approximately 29 states and Washington, D.C. do not celebrate Columbus Day. About 216 cities have renamed it or replaced it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, according to renamecolumbusday.org. Some states recognize Indigenous Peoples Day via proclamation, while others treat it as an official holiday. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds renamed the holiday in Iowa in 2018.

At the federal level, Indigenous Peoples’ Day has received presidential proclamations from the Biden administration for the last three years.

“Indigenous peoples are a beacon of resilience, strength, and perseverance as well as a source of incredible contributions. Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations continue to practice their cultures, remember their heritages, and pass down their histories from generation to generation,” Biden wrote in the 2023 proclamation on the holiday.

Is Hy-Vee open on Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

Hy-Vee is open during its normal hours on Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day.

Is Fareway open on Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

Fareway is open during its normal hours on Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day.

Is Walmart open on Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

Walmart is open during its normal hours on Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day.

Is there mail delivery on Columbus Day?

No, the post office’s retail locations will be closed in observance of Columbus Day, and there will be no mail delivery at homes or offices.

Anyone in need of shipping supplies can still order them from the post office’s website.

Are banks open on Columbus Day?

Banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America will also be closed for Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day.

Chase’s branches will be open, but it will treat online transactions the same way it would on a regularly observed federal holiday.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.