Is Target Open On Memorial Day 2019? Because You'll Definitely Need *Something*

I smelled summer the other day, that subtle combination of humid air, sunscreen, and trees signaling the best season of the year is finally here. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the dog days, so you need stock to stock up on sunscreen and popsicles before stores close for the holiday. Luckily, Target will be open on Memorial Day, so you'll have a built-in backup plan if you forget anything. (Still, their hours might be a little different than you're used to, so you might want to prep just to be safe.)

Memorial Day was originally designed to give federal employees the holiday off in order to commemorate all American military personnel lost in conflict, but it's morphed into more of a celebratory occasion, particularly because so many schools align the start of summer vacation with it. The federal government still closes for the day, so postal and garbage services, banks, the Stock Exchange, and any other government-regulated entity will be put on hold for the day. But grocery stores and retailers usually remain open in some capacity, with many retailers opting to offer sales in the hopes of luring in customers who have the day off. (A whole day free for shopping? Sign me up.) And unsurprisingly for one of the most reliable stores known to man, Target falls into the open category.

Good Housekeeping reported that most Target stores will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Memorial Day, giving you oodles of time to shop 'til you drop. But some locations might be varying their hours, so you'll want to head to Target's website to check your local store hours to be sure you aren't greeted by unmoving automatic doors. But more likely than not, your friendly neighborhood Target will be open to help you out if you forget anything for the barbecue you're hosting, or if you just need more toothpaste. Dental hygiene waits for no man.

And if for some reason you don't live close to a Target, you can rest easy. Most grocery stores will be open on Memorial Day; the only grocery store I know of that will be closed on the last Monday in May is Costco, according to Delish. Translation: take comfort in the fact that you'll be able to buy White Claw from multiple vendors for your first pool day of the year.

You're honestly going to be more likely to have issues with your local store being wiped out of the one thing you need than it not being open. Everyone will have similar grocery carts for those pool day necessities — sunscreen, beer, pool toys, Goldfish, etc. — so it's possible you'll be greeted by empty aisles when you hit up the grocery store on Memorial Day, Walking Dead style. I'd stock up early on the things you know you'll need if you can, and leave your holiday shopping for retail sales or for last minute runs for items you forgot. But hey, start summer however you see fit. Cannon balls away.