Labor Day falls on Monday, September 4, this year, and whether you’re celebrating with the kiddos or family friends, everyone loves a parade! Here’s a list of our fave local parades to keep you marching on.
Where: Haledon
Deets: This year’s Labor Day Parade honors the contributions of working people. The annual event is scheduled for Sunday, September 3. It will begin and end at the American Labor Museum/Botto House, where an opening ceremony will kick off the events. This year’s grand marshals are Pat Kelleher, president, Hudson County Building & Construction Trades Council; Rebecca K. Givan, president, Rutgers AAUP-AFT; Amy Higer, president, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union; and Catherine Monteleone, president, Rutgers AAUP-BHSNJ.
Boonton Fire Department Labor Day Parade and Carnival
Where: Boonton
Deets: What better way to end the summer season than with a carnival featuring tons of rides, live concerts, fireworks and a pig roast? The parade will be Saturday, September 2, but the carnival will be held from Thursday through Sunday for your family’s enjoyment.
Mendham Labor Day Parade and Carnival
Where: Starts on East Main St. and Mountain Ave., Mendham
Deets: The annual Labor Day Parade and Carnival is back again with tons of rides, games and carnival food, perfect for ending the summer in the best way possible. Stop by Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening. On Labor Day, the Mendham Labor Day Parade marches up Main Street ending at Borough Field. Don’t forget to enter the 50/50 raffle, either – in past years the prize has been more than $50,000.
South Plainfield Labor Day Parade and Festivities
Where: Veterans Park, South Plainfield
Deets: This claims to be the oldest and largest Labor Day parade in New Jersey. On September 4, stick around for food, drinks, live music, vendors and fireworks.
Here are some more great Labor Day activities for you and your family:
Saturday, September 2
Labor Day Festival
Knowlton Fire Department No. 1, Delaware
Say goodbye to summer at this festival, where there will be more than a dozen food vendors, bungee trampoline, inflatable village, face painter, henna tattoos, local craft vendors, and live music from Naughty Humphrey and The Big Fuss.
Labor Day Weekend BBQ
Sweetgrass Pavilion, Minerals Hotel of Crystal Springs Resort, Vernon
Fun activities for the whole family include live music; kids’ activities like goat races, pony rides, lawn games and a balloon twister; and a menu highlighted by ancho chili beef brisket, shrimp boil, sweet potato wedges, sides and desserts.
Sunday, September 3
Middlesex County’s Annual Labor Day Concert
Roosevelt Park, Edison
This year’s concert will feature The British Invasion Years, a ‘60s musical revolution, spanning the entire first wave of the British Invasion Era.
Monday, September 4
Labor Day Street Fair
Riverdale
This year’s annual Labor Day party will also celebrate the town’s centennial. There will be exhibitors selling a selection of assorted items, a special arts & crafts section, live entertainment, kiddie rides and games, great festival foods and food trucks, and so much more. See the shows with live music, dancing, karate demonstrations, and more. Come hungry and eat carnival food favorites, plus order from the food trucks. The Kidz Traveling Shindig is a section in the school parking lot area dedicated to children with kiddie bounce rides, slides, and interactive blow-ups, face painters, sand art and kids’ games.
Labor Day Fireworks
Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Pt. Pleasant
Finish out summer at Jenkinson’s at dark with the family. Bring a lawn chair or beach blanket and watch the sky light up above the ocean.
Read More:
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Our Mega-Guide to Fairs and Festivals in NJ
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