Farmworkers Day 2027 is Saturday, April 10, in California. A law that takes effect on January 1, 2027, moves the state holiday from March 31 to April 10.
Because April 10 is a Saturday in 2027, California courts will close on Friday, April 9. In Colorado, Farm Workers Day stays on Wednesday, March 31, 2027.
Key takeaways
- California’s Farmworkers Day replaced Cesar Chavez Day in March 2026 and moves to April 10 in 2027.
- March 31 is no longer a California state holiday from 2027.
- Farmworkers Day is not a federal holiday: mail is delivered, and banks are open.
- California schools may close for the day, but only if the district and its unions agree.
Farmworkers Day 2027 key facts
| California date | Saturday, April 10, 2027 |
|---|---|
| California court holiday | Friday, April 9, 2027 |
| Colorado date | Wednesday, March 31, 2027 (Farm Workers Day, optional) |
| Formerly | Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) |
| Federal holiday? | No |
| Next California date | Monday, April 10, 2028 |
Table of Contents
When is Farmworkers Day? It depends on where you are
There is no single national Farmworkers Day. California and Colorado each have a state day with that name, on different dates, and some cities set their own.
| Place | Name | 2027 date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Farmworkers Day | Saturday, April 10 (courts closed Friday, April 9) | State holiday |
| Colorado | Farm Workers Day | Wednesday, March 31 | Optional state holiday |
| City of Los Angeles | Farm Workers Day | Last Monday of March: March 29 | City observance, proclaimed in 2026 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | Farmworkers Day | March 31 in 2026; 2027 not confirmed | City observance |
What is open and closed for Farmworkers Day 2027 in California?
Because the holiday falls on a Saturday in 2027, the main weekday effect is on Friday, April 9, when California’s courts close.
Federal services and most businesses are not affected.
| Service | Status |
|---|---|
| California state courts | Closed Friday, April 9, 2027 |
| State offices and the DMV | The holiday itself is Saturday, April 10; check your office for any Friday closure |
| Public schools and community colleges | Vary by district; closure needs an agreement with employee unions |
| U.S. Postal Service | Open; mail delivered |
| Banks | Open |
| Federal offices and courts | Open |
| City and county offices | Vary by city and county |
For state employees, April 10 replaces March 31 as a paid holiday, according to a summary by the law firm Faegre Drinker. Private employers do not have to give the day off.
Schools may close on April 10, or on the Friday or Monday next to it, under an agreement between the district and its unions.
The law does not require any school to close, the education law firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo explains. School contracts signed before January 1, 2027, keep their existing holiday terms until they expire.
How Cesar Chavez Day became Farmworkers Day
California changed the holiday in two steps in 2026. The first law changed the name, and the second changed the date.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 18, 2026 | The New York Times reported sexual abuse allegations against labor leader César Chávez, who died in 1993 |
| March 26, 2026 | Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2156, renaming the March 31 holiday Farmworkers Day, effective at once |
| March 31, 2026 | California marked its first Farmworkers Day; Colorado renamed its day Farm Workers Day |
| September 27, 2026 | Newsom signed Senate Bill 1394, moving Farmworkers Day to April 10 |
| January 1, 2027 | Senate Bill 1394 takes effect |
Senate Bill 1394 also repealed a separate California Farmworker Day that state law had set on August 26, according to Faegre Drinker.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who introduced the first bill, said the farmworker movement “has always extended beyond any one person” (CBS Sacramento).
California Farmworkers Day dates, 2027–2036
Farmworkers Day is fixed on April 10. When April 10 falls on a Sunday, state employees get the following Monday. When it falls on a Saturday, the courts close on the Friday before, as in 2027.
| Year | April 10 falls on | Weekday closure |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Saturday | Courts: Friday, April 9 |
| 2028 | Monday | Monday, April 10 |
| 2029 | Tuesday | Tuesday, April 10 |
| 2030 | Wednesday | Wednesday, April 10 |
| 2031 | Thursday | Thursday, April 10 |
| 2032 | Saturday | Courts: Friday, April 9 (expected) |
| 2033 | Sunday | Monday, April 11 |
| 2034 | Monday | Monday, April 10 |
| 2035 | Tuesday | Tuesday, April 10 |
| 2036 | Thursday | Thursday, April 10 |
The first weekday Farmworkers Day on the new date is Monday, April 10, 2028. Every 2027 weekday is on the April 2027 calendar.
Who Farmworkers Day honors
Farmworkers Day honors the people who plant, tend, and harvest crops. California has an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 farmworkers, between one-third and one-half of the national total, according to the Center for Farmworker Families (Davis Vanguard).
Their work feeds much of the country. California grows nearly half of the vegetables and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts produced in the United States. Its farms earned $64.7 billion in 2025, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
California’s Department of Education encourages lessons on the farmworker movement as a civil rights struggle, naming leaders such as Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong (California Department of Education).
Related days in 2027
Several other dates honor farmworkers or the movement’s leaders.
| Day | 2027 date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dolores Huerta Day | Saturday, April 10 | Huerta’s birthday; California’s governor proclaims it each year, so it now shares a date with Farmworkers Day |
| Farm Workers Day (Colorado) | Wednesday, March 31 | Optional state holiday |
| National Farmworker Awareness Week | Not confirmed | Coordinated by Student Action with Farmworkers; its site last listed April 5–11 |
Student Action with Farmworkers estimates that 2.5 to 3 million people work in US fields (SAF).
Frequently asked questions
When is Farmworkers Day 2027?
In California, Farmworkers Day 2027 is Saturday, April 10, with courts closed on Friday, April 9. In Colorado, Farm Workers Day is Wednesday, March 31, 2027.
Is Farmworkers Day still on March 31 in California?
No. It was on March 31 in 2026 only. From 2027, California’s Farmworkers Day is April 10.
Is Farmworkers Day a federal holiday?
No. Federal offices and banks are open, and the Postal Service delivers mail.
Do private employers in California have to give Farmworkers Day off?
No. The holiday applies to state employees, and to school staff where a union agreement provides it.
Are California schools closed on Farmworkers Day 2027?
It varies by district. A school may close on April 10 or an adjacent Friday or Monday only by agreement with its employee unions.
When is Farmworkers Day 2028?
California’s Farmworkers Day 2028 is Monday, April 10.
Farmworkers Day sits with every other 2027 date in the 2027 calendar.
