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Council approves Juneteenth event, limits Washington Square closure to 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Summary
The City Council approved a Juneteenth special event for June 21 and amended a road-closure request so Washington Square will be closed for safety from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Other closure details were referred to police for refinement and returned to council on May 14.
The City Council voted to approve a Juneteenth special event at Eisenhower Park on June 21, 2025, and narrowly limited a requested closure of Washington Square to 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for safety and crowd control.
Event organizer and reenactor Mr. Roberts told the council the program includes a historic reenactment, musical performers and vendors and estimated attendance of "5 to 600 people." Councilors debated the extent of street closures, with concerns about displacing regular parking and impacts to downtown businesses. After discussion, the council amended the closure request so the square would be closed only for a short, specified period and sent other closure requests back to staff and the police department for a recommendation to return on May 14.
Sergeant Jason, the Newport police traffic sergeant, told the council the requested no-parking zones were limited to small stretches in front of the Audrain Building and casino terrace and that businesses were to be consulted. The council’s action preserved the event permit while narrowing the window of street closures and directing city staff to coordinate logistics with police and business owners.
What happens next: the council approved the event permit and the amended closure; police staff will finalize recommended closures and return to the council for further approval at the next meeting.
