West Indian Day Parade, on Labor Day in Brooklyn.
It’s Labor Day weekend, which means that students are heading back to school, football season is about to begin, and fall foliage viewing is just around the corner. The three-day holiday weekend is traditionally when many people say a final goodbye to summer with trips to the beach and backyard barbecue parties. In many cities, though, it’s also a chance to celebrate with parades, concerts, fireworks and festivals. Here are some of the more prominent and popular Labor Day weekend celebrations in the United States.
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital puts on one of the biggest Labor Day celebrations, highlighted by a free concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. The event is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. Thousands of people traditionally attend this concert, which is held annually on the Sunday before Labor Day and helps to kick off the fall performing arts season in the city. Other weekend events include a Blues Festival, kids’ day at the Washington Nationals baseball park, and a Labor Day parade in nearby Kensington, Maryland.
New York City
Another city that celebrates Labor Day in a big way is New York. The Labor Day Parade is not actually on Monday (it’s scheduled for Saturday, September 12), but it’s one of the biggest such events in the country. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and travels north on Fifth Avenue, starting on 44th Street and ending at 72nd Street near Central Park.
One event that does take place on the holiday, however, is the West Indian American Day Carnival and Parade, which will attract more than a million people to Brooklyn on Monday. Prior to the parade, revelers will enjoy the Caribbean food, music and costumes during the weekend-long Carnival.
Detroit
It’s difficult to imagine Labor Day without celebrations in Detroit, home to the major American automakers and some of the country’s biggest labor unions. The Detroit Labor Day Parade is one of the city’s biggest annual events and kicks off Monday at 9:30 a.m. on Woodward Avenue, ending at Hart Plaza. But music lovers will also enjoy the Detroit International Jazz Festival, which has five stages in downtown Detroit and will have more than 100 musical acts over four days. Best of all, the entire event is free!
Chicago
You can celebrate Labor Day in Chicago in a variety of ways. The most public celebration is the fireworks show at Navy Pier on Saturday and Sunday nights. Another event for music aficionados is the annual Chicago Jazz Festival, which takes place in Grant Park throughout the weekend.
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Photo credit: Fordmadoxfraud via Wikimedia Commons.
Comments
Thanks for the information, Bob. I expect to be in NY next weekend, so I may see it. Do you know why it isn't on Labor Day? Or just NY doing it's thing? There are so many parades and celebrations in that city that I imagine they have to get in line.
Cheers! Pauline - National History & Landmarks Examiner
Knoxville, TN has one of the largest fireworks shows in the country on Labor Day weekend. It used to be on Labor Day, but is now on Sunday. As many as 400,000 people gather along the Tennessee River to see Boomsday. There are several examiner.com articles on the big event and things to do while you wait for the big fireworks show.
I get so digusted sometimes. Will people PLEASE acknowledge that the West Indian American Day Parade is the LARGEST parade in North America? Between 2.5 and 3 million people attend this parade every years and the numbers have been consistent!
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