25 Fun Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend

The first full weekend of college football kicks off on Labor Day Weekend. Georgia begins the defense of its national title when the Bulldogs take on the Oregon Ducks.

Labor Day trains the focus of baseball fans on the pennant races in the three divisions of the American League and the National League.

The National Symphony Orchestra’s free annual Labor Day weekend concert will perform on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building on Sunday, Sept. 3. Principal pops conductor Steven Reineke leads the orchestra in music by Aaron Copland and John Williams.

The D.C. JazzFest is an annual showcase of national and local musicians that takes place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 4. The free event, the district’s premier jazz event, is held at The Wharf.

Take a trip out to the Southwest, to the Mojave Desert, for an all-terrain vehicle ride – or barrel through the Valley of Fire in a dune buggy.

One of the more spectacular strolls in America is the walk across the glass-bottomed Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge, 4,000 feet above the canyon floor.

Among the live events scheduled in Atlanta this Labor Day Weekend is the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Callaway Gardens. The event is held over three nights.

Also in Atlanta is the Atlanta Caribbean Jerk Festival,scheduled to be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Southeast Athletic Complex, where festival-goers can enjoy reggae music and jerk cuisine.

The Unicycle Festival is held on Governors Island in New York City. It has dropped events that involve close contact but there are long-distance unicycle races scheduled.

For many, Labor Day Weekend is the last opportunity for an extended road trip. For tourist attractions that are a bit off-center (how about the American International Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico?), check out the website for Roadside America.

The disruption in the supply chain led to a bicycle shortage that has shown signs of easing. If you have a bike, take the opportunity to hit the trails with family and friends.

Few things are more refreshing for body and soul than swimming in a lake or jumping into a swimming hole – for instance, Oneonta Gorge in Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, where you can luxuriate in the cool waters surrounded by water falls, cliffs, and forests.

There’s been an uptick in people visiting America’s National Parks with the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. The National Park Service said last year’s visitation increased by 60 million over 2020, when the pandemic closed facilities in most parks for at least some of the year.

Hiking has many health benefits – but beware of the presence of bears on the trails you frequent.

Labor Day Weekend is one of the biggest sales events of the year. Top brands offer deep discounts, and the weekend is the last major savings opportunity until Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving.

Fall is coming, whether we want to acknowledge it or not, so the Labor Day Weekend provides an opportunity to pull out decorations – pumpkins, wreaths, garlands, mums, etc. – for autumn.

If you plan on shopping on Labor Day, sales on appliances are a big draw, and those include grills. Labor Day is the year’s third-most popular holiday for a barbecue, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.

The International Dairy Foods Association says the average American eats roughly 20 pounds, or about four gallons, of ice cream each year, almost all of it bought at an ice cream parlor or a supermarket. Try making ice cream at home this Labor Day Weekend instead.

As drive-in movie venues have become fewer and fewer, many towns across the country show movies in parks or open spaces as a way of bringing the community together.

About three billion pizzas are consumed each year in the United States – adding up to about 350 slices per second. The average person eats 46 slices per year. The popularity of pizza stones and the grilling of pizza has more and more Americans making America’s favorite meal at home.

For a large part of the country, hitting the beach on Labor Day Weekend might be the last opportunity to work on your tan before the weather cools.

If you get to the beach, or the lake, or even just stay at home, the long holiday weekend affords you time to catch up on your reading.

Towns all around the country – for instance, Marlborough, Massachusetts – hold parades in honor of the American working man and woman on Labor Day.

Street fairs are a great way to spend time with neighbors and help support local businesses.

The long weekend means you can stop procrastinating and get to those house projects, such as painting a room or organizing your closet.