What's Open, What's Closed for Presidents Day Weekend

Presidents' Day or Washington's Birthday is observed on Feb. 17, the third Monday of the month, by most governments, banks, schools and other public institutions.

Presidents' Day is an unofficial name for the Washington's Birthday federal holiday and it's also popularly written without the apostrophe, but either way is considered acceptable by most dictionaries, even while the apostrophe version is used more by authoritative writers.

Washington's actual birthday Feb. 22 (the date he himself celebrated after the British calendar was changed during his lifetime), is actually never officially observed as a holiday because the third Monday of the month never falls later than Feb. 21.

Here's what's open and what's closed in Darien and beyond for Presidents' Day weekend, 2014:


Department of Motor Vehicles

Holiday schedule for major service centers, including the Norwalk Office:

• Friday: Norwalk Office is open from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (unless it closes due to the snow)
  

• Saturday: Norwalk Office is closed

• Monday: The department is normally closed.

• Tuesday: The department reopens for business with normal business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Monday, Presidents' Day

• Darien YMCA: But there are no classes during the February school recess; the YMCA Vacation Camp runs from Monday, Feb. 17 through Thursday, Feb. 21.
  

• Darien Community Association is open.

• Banks in Connecticut have the option of opening or closing. According to state policy: "Connecticut banks and credit unions are required to give at least two weeks’ advance notice to their customers of holiday openings and closings by posting such notice in the lobby of each office." TD Bank is open.

• Darien Public Schools (PDF of 2013-2014 school calendar) — schools are closed all week for the February break and reopen Monday, Feb. 24.
  

• Darien Library

• Darien Nature Center

• Connecticut state government offices (including state courts)
  

• U.S. government offices

• Post Offices

• Darien town government offices

• The Depot youth center is closed for February break from Saturday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 23.

• Darien Senior Activities Center is closed.

• The New York Stock Exchange and much of the financial industry

• CT Transit bus service in Darien and Stamford has regular local service but "reduced" Commuter Connection service.

• Norwalk Transit District offices are open, as is regular Wheels bus service around Norwalk. For other services, see its schedule on the website.

• Metro-North has announced: "On Presidents' Day, Monday, Feb. 17,  Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule. The Hudson Rail Link and Newburgh-Beacon and  Haverstraw-Ossining ferries will not operate. Grand Central North's exits at 46th-48th Streets will be closed."