Looking to end your summerr in style? Well, look no further than the below events as they are some of the best Labor Day Weekend events in the USA this year.
Camden Windjammer Festival
Celebrate all things maritime at this annual festival in Camden, Maine (September 1-2). In addition to watching windjammers and their impressive sails take to the water, a sampling of the fun events on tap include the annual Schooner Talent Show, Lobster Crate Race and Schooner Open House. The festival will also feature great live music and plenty of scrumptious seafood.
North Carolina Apple Festival
Hendersonville has been throwing an annual party dedicated to the local apple industry for over seven decades now and this year’s edition will no doubt be the happening (September 1-4) of the summer in Henderson County. Highlights include a street fair, parade, food court, live music and more fried apple pies than you can shake a peeler at.
Dragon Con
The world’s biggest popular culture & multimedia convention with a focus on comics, gaming, science fiction & fantasy, literature, music, film and art returns to Atlanta, where it’s been a staple on the calendar since 1987 (August 31 to September 4). Expect dozens of featured guests and a myriad of fun events like a parade, art show and a special Comic & Pop Artist Alley in addition to all the usual fantasy world fun.
National Buffalo Wing Festival
Whether you prefer drums, flats or boneless, you’ll have the time of your life at this Labor Day Weekend event at Highmark Stadium (the Home of the Bills) in Buffalo, New York (September 2-3). In addition to getting to watch—or participate in—a myriad of wing & sauce-making competitions and wing-scoffing contests, there will be great live music and of course, lots of great Buffalo bites.
Lowcountry Jazz Festival
Head to Charleston, South Carolina this Labor Weekend (September 2-3) for the annual celebration of the city’s rich jazz heritage. The artists performing this year will combine sensational smooth jazz with soulful blues, a roster that includes Gregory Porter, Avery Sunshine, Dave Koz, Jonathan Butler and more.
National Championship Chuckwagon Races
There’s nothing like seeing a field full of Old West chuckwagons racing past as you feel the ground underneath you shake and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the fun at this classic annual event at the Bar of Ranch in Clinton, Arkansas (August 26 to September 3). In addition to the races, visitors will be able to enjoy camp cook-offs, dance competitions and engaging entertainment.
Renaissance World Tour in LA
Beyoncé brings her record-shattering world tour to Southern California for not one, not two, but three shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood over Labor Day Weekend (September 1-2 & 4). Expect to hear lots of your favorites and be blown away by the costumes and stagecraft on display by Queen Bey and her dancers.
North Coast Music Festival
Head to the Windy City on September 1-3 for the best late summer electronic dance music festival in the USA. Spread over multiple stages at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, North Coast will feature sets by Marshmello, Alesso, Alison Wonderland, DJ Snake, ZedsDead, Flume and dozens more.
Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days
Live music from The Beach Boys, a parade, carnival rides, tantalizing fairground food and the much-loved demolition derby will return to the Walla Walla Fairgrounds through September 3 during this annual summer send-off. The event also includes a big-time rodeo, where you can expect to see saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, barrel racing and much more.
Columbus Greek Festival
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, the Columbus Greek Festival is a cherished Labor Day Weekend event in the Buckeye State. Head to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus on September 1-4 for cathedral tours, traditional dance & music, shopping and some of the finest food (spanakopita and souvlaki are just the start) and drinks you’ll have all year long.
PHOTO: Michigan's Mackinac Bridge. (photo via Flickr/Bailiwick Studios)
Labor Day Bridge Walk
A northern Michigan Labor Day tradition unlike any other, this mass morning stroll across the Mackinac Bridge offers up sweeping views of the straits below and a thrill for the whole family. The best part? It’s absolutely free.
Southern Decadence
A New Orleans tradition since 1972, this legendary LQBTQ festival (August 31 to September 4) will once again fill the streets of the French Quarter with revelry. Highlights of the weekend include but are certainly not limited to concerts, club events, parades, spontaneous street parties and more.
Film festival opening in Telluride, Colorado. (photo via YaskoCreative/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)
Telluride Film Festival
The 50th annual edition of this leading film festival will take place over Labor Day Weekend (August 31 to September 4) and will again see film lovers from all over the world descend on the charming mountain town. As per tradition, the full roster of films won’t be announced until everyone has arrived, a quirk that adds a special allure to the TFF.
Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival
Port Saint Joe on the Forgotten Coast is the place to be for this unforgettable end-of-summer bash featuring great fresh seafood, sweet live music and a plethora of arts & crafts. Taking place on September 2–3, the festival will feature music from Memphis Lightning, Bo Spring Band, Baby Gray and more top-notch performers.
Marshall County Blueberry Festival
Indiana’s largest four-day festival, the 57th Annual Blueberry Festival in Plymouth (August 31 to September 4) will once again put smiles on the faces of all in attendance. This year, you can expect the usual array of carnival rides, concerts, pageants, arts & crafts, balloon glows, fireworks and more. And when it comes to the food, favorites like corn dogs, steak tips and the beloved blueberry ice cream will all be on the menu.
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