Cesar Chavez Day falls on Wednesday, March 31, 2027, but in most places it is no longer a holiday. California renamed it Farmworkers Day in 2026 and moved that holiday to April 10 in 2027.
Colorado keeps March 31 under the name Farm Workers Day, and Arizona repealed its observance.
Key takeaways
- March 31, 2027, is no longer a California state holiday. Farmworkers Day is April 10.
- Colorado keeps March 31 as an optional state holiday called Farm Workers Day.
- Arizona repealed its observance in April 2026, and Texas did not observe the day in 2026.
- The day has never been a federal holiday.
March 31, 2027, key facts
| Date | Wednesday, March 31, 2027 |
|---|---|
| California | Not a state holiday in 2027; Farmworkers Day is April 10 |
| Colorado | Farm Workers Day, an optional state holiday |
| Federal holiday? | No |
| Mail delivery | Yes, as normal |
| Banks | Open |
Table of Contents
Is Cesar Chavez Day still a holiday? Status by state
It depends on the state. Three states changed the law in 2026, and two governors stopped observing the day without a new law.
| State | Status for March 31, 2027 | What changed in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| California | Not a state holiday. Farmworkers Day is April 10, 2027 | Assembly Bill 2156 renamed the holiday on March 26; Senate Bill 1394, signed September 27, moves it to April 10 from January 1, 2027 (Faegre Drinker) |
| Colorado | Optional state holiday, named Farm Workers Day | House Bill 26-1339 renamed the day; signed March 31, 2026 (Colorado Governor’s Office) |
| Arizona | No state observance | House Bill 2072 repealed the observance; signed April 1, 2026 (Arizona’s Family) |
| Texas | Still in state law as an optional holiday, but not observed in 2026 | Governor Greg Abbott said he would ask the 2027 Legislature to remove it from law (The Texas Tribune) |
| Washington | No proclamation issued in 2026 | Governor Bob Ferguson pointed to Dolores Huerta Day on April 10 (Axios) |
Other states have recognized March 31 in some form, including Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin.
California passed a second law. It was signed on September 27, 2026, and moves Farmworkers Day from March 31 to April 10, starting January 1, 2027. The California courts’ 2027 holiday list confirms it: Farmworkers Day is listed for Friday, April 9 (April 10 is a Saturday), and nothing is listed for March 31.
What is open and closed on March 31, 2027?
Almost everything is open. The Postal Service delivers mail, banks keep normal hours, and federal offices are open because March 31 has never been a federal holiday.
- California: state courts are open on March 31, 2027. The courts’ 2027 holiday list shows Farmworkers Day on Friday, April 9, and no holiday on March 31 (California Courts).
- California schools: some districts may still close on March 31 under contracts signed before 2027, so check your district’s calendar.
- Colorado: state offices stay open, and state employees may take the optional holiday.
- Cities: some cities keep their own holiday near March 31, so city offices may differ.
April closures in California are on our Farmworkers Day 2027 page. The days when federal services close are on the 2027 federal holidays page.
Why was Cesar Chavez Day renamed?
States acted after a New York Times investigation published on March 18, 2026. It reported allegations that labor leader César Chávez, who died in 1993, sexually abused two girls in the 1970s.
On the same day, United Farm Workers (UFW) co-founder Dolores Huerta said that Chavez had sexually assaulted her.
The UFW, the union Chavez co-founded, canceled its Cesar Chavez Day events. California’s Legislature then voted to rename the holiday, with the Senate passing the bill 37–0, according to CalMatters.
Lawmakers said the new name keeps the focus on farmworkers. “This is not about one person,” state Senator Suzette Valladares said during the debate (PBS News). Six months later, a second law moved the holiday off March 31, the date of Chavez’s birth.
What cities call March 31 now
Cities made their own choices, so the name and date can differ from one city to the next within a state.
| City | Name or action in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles, California | Farm Workers Day, proclaimed for the last Monday of March |
| Phoenix, Arizona | Farmworkers Day |
| Tucson, Arizona | Dolores Huerta Day, on March 30 |
| Denver, Colorado | SÃ Se Puede Day |
| El Paso, Texas | Community & Labor Heritage Day |
Sources: CBS Sacramento, Arizona’s Family, The Texas Tribune, and Wikipedia’s summary of the 2026 changes. City plans for 2027 may change, so confirm with your city.
March 31 dates, 2026–2036
Cesar Chavez Day was fixed on March 31, the date of Chavez’s birth in 1927. Colorado’s Farm Workers Day keeps that date.
| Year | March 31 falls on |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | Sunday |
| 2031 | Monday |
| 2032 | Wednesday |
| 2033 | Thursday |
| 2034 | Friday |
| 2035 | Saturday |
| 2036 | Monday |
March 31, 2027, is also 100 years to the day after Chavez’s birth. Every 2027 weekday is on the March 2027 calendar.
How March 31 became a holiday
California was the first state to create a holiday for Chavez, according to CalMatters. Texas has listed the day as an optional holiday since 2000, and Colorado since 2001 (Wikipedia).
The day never became a federal holiday. President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day in 2014, which made it a commemorative day without closing federal offices.
When is Dolores Huerta Day?
Dolores Huerta Day is April 10, Huerta’s birthday. In 2027, it falls on a Saturday, the same day as California’s Farmworkers Day. Washington’s governor named it as the day his state would celebrate in place of March 31, and Tucson now marks its own Dolores Huerta Day on March 30.
Frequently asked questions
When is Cesar Chavez Day 2027?
March 31, 2027, is a Wednesday. California no longer observes it; Colorado marks the date as Farm Workers Day.
What is Cesar Chavez Day called now?
California renamed it Farmworkers Day in March 2026 and moved it to April 10, 2027. Colorado calls March 31 Farm Workers Day. Some cities use other names, such as SÃ Se Puede Day in Denver.
Is March 31, 2027, a holiday in California?
No. From 2027, the state holiday is Farmworkers Day on April 10, and California courts close on Friday, April 9, 2027.
Is Cesar Chavez Day a federal holiday?
No. It never was. Federal offices are open, and the Postal Service delivers mail on March 31.
Are banks open on March 31, 2027?
Yes. March 31 is not a Federal Reserve holiday, so banks keep normal hours.
Is Cesar Chavez Day still a holiday in Texas?
It remains in Texas law as an optional holiday, but the governor directed the state not to observe it in 2026 and plans to seek its removal in 2027.
Is Cesar Chavez Day still observed in Arizona?
Not by the state. Arizona repealed its observance on April 1, 2026. Phoenix marked Farmworkers Day in 2026, and Tucson marks Dolores Huerta Day on March 30.
March 31 sits with every other 2027 date in the 2027 calendar.
